Friday, November 29, 2024  

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Today's Scripture
Psalm 150

Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty firmament!

Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his surpassing greatness!

Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp!

Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!

Praise him with clanging cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!

Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! (NRSV)

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Reflection

Praise the Lord! I’ve used that reference several times in my life, but usually it is in response to a good outcome to something that was troubling me. A son arriving home after driving through a snowstorm, for example.

This psalm is not that kind of statement, however. It reminds us of the many ways we see God. In God’s house, in the outdoors, discovering evidence of God’s great goodness toward us.

I forget to praise God on the good days. You know, the days as a teacher when my students are learning and my jokes are funny. When I’m conducting and we all get goosebumps because it was done musically. When I’m out fly-fishing and am struck by the beauty of the stream and the surroundings. I need to say “Praise the Lord” then as well.

Beginning with verse three, we see how to praise God. I took a second to think about the instruments. Not everyone is a loud one. Trumpet — WHEE-HAW! Lute and harp — subtle instruments capable of extraordinary beauty and phrase. Tambourine and dance — visual instruments. A tambourine needs to be seen as it is played. It is as magical as watching good dance. Loud clanging and clashing cymbals — there is little worse than a weak cymbal crash at a big moment.

Perhaps the same is true of praise? There is a time for hands in the air, overjoyed, unbridled, cymbal-crashing praise. As one of God’s frozen chosen, that can be uncomfortable to be part of. Perhaps that is the point.

Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! In its own way, in its own time, with all its being.

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Prayer
As I move through each day, Lord, help me actively and continually praise you. Soli Deo Gloria. Amen.

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Written by Robert Sinclair, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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