1 Praise the LORD!
Praise the name of the LORD,
give praise, O servants of the LORD,
2 who stand in the house of the LORD,
in the courts of the house of our God!
3 Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
sing to his name, for it is pleasant!
4 For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself,
Israel as his own possession.
5 For I know that the LORD is great,
and that our LORD is above all gods.
6 Whatever the LORD pleases, he does,
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all deeps.
7 He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth,
who makes lightnings for the rain
and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.
8 He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
both of man and of beast;
9 who in your midst, O Egypt,
sent signs and wonders
against Pharaoh and all his servants;
10 who struck down many nations
and killed mighty kings,
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
and Og, king of Bashan,
and all the kingdoms of Canaan,
12 and gave their land as a heritage,
a heritage to his people Israel.
(Translated version, original article written in Chinese by Pastor Mickey Hsiao)
[Theme] Praise the LORD
Psalm 135, this call begins with the words, “Praise the LORD!” It also ends with “Praise the LORD!” It is a Hallelujah Psalm. (Hallelujah means “Praise the LORD!”) In the first half of the Scripture, we see many reasons to praise, that help us to learn about the exercise to praise.
Praise God’s Nature: The name Jehovah describes God’s nature. Which refers to the all of God’s properties. We should praise Him because of His kindness, righteousness, holiness and love…everything that is related to His nature.
Praise God’s Selection: The selection process is an important key to the relationship between God and men. It is derived from God’s absolute sovereignty. It is all because of God has chosen us in Christ that we are now able to reconcile with God. Likewise, we must express praises as well!
Praise God for His Greatness: Our God is the only almighty God. He is above all the other gods. His greatness is immeasurable. He deserves the greatest praise!
Praise God for His Omnipotence: God is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. Everything that is out of His will must be done according to His will. No power in heaven, on earth, or in the sea can hinder God’s plan. Because of God’s incomparable power, we must praise Him!
Praise God for His Salvation: God saved His people from slavery in Egypt, so that they would no longer be oppressed and persecuted, but they would be completely set free; now in Jesus Christ, because of our faith, we have become God’s children. We are no longer threatened by sin and death.
Praise God for His Blessing: God not only performed signs and wonders to lead His people out of Egypt, but also led them to destroy the evil king of Canaan. God gave them the promise gift of milk and honey, so that they could survive, and enjoy an incomparably abundant provision.
[Meditation]
How do you “Praise God?” Will it become an empty slogan? Are these only heartless empty words? Based on the reminder of today’s scripture, meditating on God’s nature, selection, greatness, omnipotence, salvation, and reward, will help us once again give praises to God from the bottom of our heart!
[Prayer]
Oh my heart! You must praise the Lord! Oh my heart, you must praise the Lord! Do not forget all of His grace! Whoever is in me, praise His Holy Name!
[Memory Verse]
Psalm 135:3 Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing to his name, for it is pleasant!