Read Psalm 143 – 150
Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD. Psalm 150:1-6 KJV
It seems appropriate the final chapter of Psalms would be a call to praise the Lord. We are admonished to give Him praise 13 times. He is worthy of it and deserves more than most of us give. This psalm answers 4 basic and valuable questions about praise. (1) Where should we praise Him? We should praise Him from the sanctuary of the Temple to the firmament, the heavens above. Anywhere is a good place to praise the Lord. (2) Why should we praise Him? We praise Him for His mighty acts, all the great things He does. This is true of the great wonders of creation and our daily blessings. (3) How should we praise Him? We praise Him with our very breath and with all kinds of instruments. No matter what form the sound of praise takes, it is pleasing to the Lord. (4) Who should praise Him? Everything that has breath should praise the Lord, especially you and me!
Lord, I praise You for who You are. You are God alone. I praise You for all You do, both in creation, Your mighty acts to observe, but also for what You do in my life, starting with my salvation. I praise You with my very breath, for each breath comes from You!
A question to ponder: How many things can I give God praise for today, and in how many different ways can I do it?
