Willful Praise

DEVOTION

PSALMS

WILLFUL PRAISE

Ps 148

148:1

Praise the LORD.

Praise the LORD from the heavens, praise him in the heights above.   2 Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his heavenly hosts. 3 Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars. 4 Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. 5 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he commanded and they were created.  6 He set them in place for ever and ever; he gave a decree that will never pass away. 7 Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,  8 lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, 9 you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, 10 wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds,  11 kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, 12 young men and maidens, old men and children. 13 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens. 14 He has raised up for his people a horn, the praise of all his saints, of Israel, the people close to his heart.

Praise the LORD.

NIV

Once again we see it is right to praise the Lord, for he has created everything to praise him. All that is in heaven praises the Lord. All the matter which makes up earth praises the Lord. All living creatures, expect some men, praise the Lord. He is the one who commanded they are to be. The waters praise him, the heavenly bodies, the sun, moon and all the stars praise him for he commanded  them to exist, and he put them in place for ever and ever. Lighting and hail, snow and clouds, the great stormy winds, all praise him and he is in control of them all for we are told they do his bidding. He brings them to be when and where he decides. Man has no control other than to decide if he will praise the Lord or not. All the earth, the mountains, the hills, fruit trees and great cedars are his to command. Even all the beasts of the earth, both wild and domesticated praise him. All the smallest of insects and all who fly on wind praise him. It should give us a clue that we as man should praise him. But we are the only creature of his creation which he gave the ability to make the choice. Everything above and on the earth which he created can only bring praise to him. But man has the choice to bring praise to God or to deny him any praise. Yet, just because we exist, we bring praise to him. Whether we make a mental or spiritual choice to live for or against him, because we are his creation, we bring praise to him. Some may deny he even exists, but their denial does not change the fact he is God and he created all that is created. What man thinks does not change the truth about God. Can man change anything God established? Can man change the sun, moon or stars? Can man change the rain, clouds, snow, hail or the wind? Can man change the lighting? The only change man can effect is in his own self. He can change to either being a child of God, or a child of the world. Man is more like a chameleon then he cares to admit. He can change depending on his circumstance, or environment. Yet even in that truth all people bring praise to the Lord for he has given them the very breath of life. True, some have suppressed any truth about him within them. But we have released that truth. We have allowed that truth to fill our being, and we not only bring praise to him, we willfully praise him with our mouth and with our life. Let all who have breathe, praise the Lord.