Blessed Thursday to each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, your Savior!
Reading this psalm we're reminded of the Lord's vast creation, which praises Him constantly. Yes, even the waters, mountains & creeping things praise the Lord!
Psalm 148
1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise Him in the heights!
2 Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His hosts!
3 Praise Him, sun and moon, praise Him, all you shining stars!
4 Praise Him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord! For He commanded and they were created.
6 And He established them forever and ever; He gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps,
8 fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word!
9 Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars!
10 Beasts and all livestock, creeping things and flying birds!
11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth!
12 Young men and maidens together, old men and children!
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted;
His majesty is above earth and heaven.
14 He has raised up a horn for His people, praise for all His saints,
for the people of Israel who are near to Him. Praise the Lord!
When we hear "Praise the Lord!", we likely think of public worship services in which we sing and speak praises to God. Thanks be to God, that we remain free to gather and worship Him! There is no better hour of the week, that one sacred hour spent praising the Lord and receiving His gifts! So our first take-away today is this: God's calling you to go to church and worship Him, and often!
This certainly works for many of those mentioned in this psalm; kings, princes, young men and maidens, old men, children and all God's people. But what about the others? I don't ever recall seeing creeping things, livestock or other beasts gathering to worship and to praise the Lord! My singing is not great, but I'd sound pretty good, next to a cow or crow! What about the mountains, the trees and the stormy winds? They praise the Lord by simply being what God created them to be. This is our second take-away today: God's calling you to worship Him in everyday life; following His will and caring for those around you! Look for ways you can praise the Lord, without speaking or singing!
Lastly, in the final verse we find the greatest reason for our praise: "He [the Lord] has raised up a horn for His people..." In God's word, horns are emblems of power, dominion, glory, and fierceness, witnessed by the animals who use them as their chief means of attack and defense. "Horn" is used as a metaphor for strength in Deuteronomy 33:17 and for honor in Job 16:15 & Lamentations 2:3, and are also symbols of royal dignity and power (Jeremiah 48:25 ; Zechariah 1:18 ; Daniel 8:24 ). The expression "horn of salvation," applied to Jesus Christ, means a salvation of strength, or a strong Savior (Luke 1:69).
So this week join me in thanking & praising God, that He has "raised up" Jesus from death, to be your horn of salvation! Jesus gives to you His resurrection, so you and I will be raised up too! God raises you up in the middle of troubles in this life, and God will raise you up after death to live forever with Him in heaven! Live today in the joy of being Raised Up!
Pastor Mark
Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS Burton, Michigan
office: 810.744.1188
We are Pilgrims with a Purpose:
Sharing God’s Love & Mercy with Each Other & the World.
Soli Deo Gloria
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Psalm 119:105
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