God Speaks
Let Everything That Has Breath Praise the LORD.
Verse of the Day: [These verses summarize what the LORD God does.] He is the maker of heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them–He remains faithful forever. He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free, the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up the bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous. The LORD watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but but He frustrates the ways of the wicked. (Psalm 146:6-9 NIV 2011)
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Watch TBR Day 166
We Respond
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding each of Psalms 134,146-150:
1. What does this psalm tell me about God?
2. What does this psalm tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
Psalm 134
1. God is the maker of heaven and earth who blesses His servants.
2. People are to worship and praise the LORD.
Psalm 146
1. Verses 6-9 give an overview of all that the LORD God has done, is doing, and will continue to do.
2. The first and last statements in this psalm encourage people to praise the LORD!
Psalm 147
1. Verses 2-6, 8-11, and 13-18 tell why God deserves the praises of His people, the Israelites, and why other peoples don’t do so.
2. The first and last statements in this psalm are like Psalm 146: Praise the LORD! Verses 1, 7, and 12 describe how to do so.
Psalm 148
1. God is worthy of the praise of everything He has created.
2. People of all ages and genders are to praise the LORD God along with everything else He has created.
Psalm 149
1. God delights in His people, those who seek to carry out His commands.
2. God’s people, His saints, are to carry out His vengeance on nations who have rebelled against the LORD and His ways.
Psalm 150
1. This psalm describes the various instruments to be used in praising the LORD God.
2. People are to use various instruments (including their voices in singing and their bodies in dancing) in praising the LORD forever.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Psalms 134 and 146-150?
LORD God, I declare to all the people of the earth that You are the maker of the heavens and the earth. You bless those who serve You day and night. People everywhere worship and praise You, O LORD. All praise and glory and honor belong to You, O LORD God! I will praise You as long as I live (and then throughout eternity). I’m determined not to put my confidence in people, powerful as they may be. All human beings will eventually die, but You are forever. You made the heavens and the earth and everything in them. You give justice to the oppressed, provide food to the hungry, free prisoners, open the eyes of the blind, lift those who are weighed down, love those who seek to be and do good, protect sojourners, care for orphans and widows, and frustrate the plans of the wicked. Please continue to do so in this day and time. Thank You for rebuilding Jerusalem and bringing the exiles back to Israel. I affirm that You, O LORD, are great. Your power is absolute! Your understanding is beyond human comprehension! Please continue to support the humble and bring the wicked down into the dust. Please maintain Your control over the weather and climate, using it to accomplish Your purposes. May You take delight in those who fear You, those who put their hope in Your unfailing love. Thank You for revealing Your words to fallible human beings like Jacob and his descendants. Please motivate and equip Your servants to take Your words to all the peoples of the world so that they can trust and obey You as well. I praise You, O LORD, with all of my being, now and for eternity. I invite all of heaven and earth and the rest of creation to join me. We praise Your name, LORD God. Your name is very great. Your glory towers over the earth and heaven! It is through faith in what Jesus Christ has done that people are made strong. Although we are so unworthy, You have chosen to honor us by drawing us close to You. Praise You, O LORD! We continually sing to You new songs of praise. Please take delight in our humble attempts to honor You with singing and dancing in pure joy. May we go out among other people with the praises of God in our mouths and the sharp sword of the word of God in our hands. May we bring those leaders and kings who have opposed You and Your people to You for judgment. This will be the glorious privilege of Your faithful ones. We will praise You in Your sanctuary with rams’ horns, lyres, harps, tambourines, dancing, stringed instruments, flutes, and cymbals. Everything that has breath will sing praises to our God and King forever. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Psalms 146 and 147?
- I will praise the LORD for what a wonderful and awesome God He is.
- I will thank the LORD daily for all He has done for me personally.
- I will praise and thank the LORD for who He is and what He has done, publicly, among both believers and unbelievers.
- I will do my part to expose and bring to justice those who are seeking to suppress the truth of God and His people.
- I will use whatever instrument I am skilled at to praise the LORD.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.