Praise The Lord
Psalm 150:1-6 NKJV
1 Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
2 Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
3 Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp!
4 Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
5 Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with clashing cymbals!
6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!
We use the term 'Praise the Lord' so much in Christian circles that the phrase and the practice may have lost some of its punch. This short psalm is a reminder that God is worthy of praise.
Praise God in His sanctuary and His mighty firmament. The term mighty firmament is translated as the expanse of heaven. Praise helps us remember that God is the Creator of the earth and the expanse of the universe, which is vast beyond our comprehension. Scientists believe there are more stars in the universe than there are individual grains of sand on all the beaches and deserts of the earth. Our Heavenly Father created that - praise the Lord!
Praise Him for His mighty acts and excellent greatness. There is no one stronger and no one greater in any area, any capacity. Our God is able to do way above all we ask or think. We should magnify Him in our lives. He is above amazing - praise the Lord!
Praise Him with a plethora of instruments. I had to make sure I threw in plethora. But seriously, there are quite a few instruments listed here. And not all of them are quiet. I am not quite sure where the dance fits into our modern services, but we can make a great case for many instruments. Loud and clashing cymbals are sure to get a rise out of some people, but in the culture of the day this psalm was written, being quiet and reserved when praising God was not the way to go. I don't know, but I suspect heaven will not be quiet as there will be many of us lifting our voices in praise - praise the Lord!
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. That pretty much covers all living things with air in their lungs. I am not sure how this pertains to the animal kingdom, but I don't have to wonder where I fit in. I am breathing, so I am praising - praise the Lord!