Lenten Devotional on Psalm 150

Working full-time and attending grad school full-time this semester have taken over my life this semester.  "Survival mode" has meant letting go of non-essentials like blogging for a season, even though I really miss it.  However, I wrote this reflection on Psalm 150 way back in January as a part of my church's Lenten devotional that is composed of entries from various church members.  Thought I'd share it today...

At my church in Mexico, we referred to Holy Saturday as “Sábado de Gloria.”  I love that phrase and cannot think of a better way to connect the truths of Good Friday and Easter Sunday than by this reminder of God’s glory.  From Christ’s sacrifice on the cross to the power of His resurrection, it really all begins and ends with God’s glory.  The fact that we, who were once far off, have been brought near by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 1:13) should lead us to celebrate, and Psalm 150 is all about celebrating.

The psalm focuses on one main idea: praising the Lord.  But this is not just a customary or commonplace praise, this is a praise with all that is within us.  In the first verse, we notice that God is to be praised in His sanctuary and in His mighty heavens.  In his commentary on Psalms 73-150, Derek Kidner points out that, “His Glory fills the universe; His praise must do no less.”  Both heaven and earth are called to worship the Lord.  From the angels in the heavens to the fish in the sea, and from infants to the elderly, all creation is to praise the Lord.

We are then instructed on why we are to praise the Lord.  We praise Him for His mighty deeds and all that He has done on our behalf, especially the gift of our salvation.  Often, these prayers of gratitude come easily to us.  We are thankful for the ways God’s blessed us or for the gift of His beautiful creation.  However, we also worship the Lord according to His excellent greatness, or simply for who He is.  Sometimes, this type of praise is harder for us.  During this Lenten and soon to be Easter season, may the Lord teach our hearts to slow down and meditate on who He is. 

As the psalm continues, we learn how we are to praise God.  We are to praise God with all that we are and all that we have.  Just as we are commanded to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our might (Deuteronomy 6:5), we are also to praise the Lord with our whole being.  Through mentioning dancing and a wide array of instruments, the psalmist shows us that our praise is not to be passive but rather fervent and full of life.  Even in the repetitive structure and abundance of exclamation marks, we can almost hear the crescendo effect that culminates in the declaration, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!  Praise the Lord!”

As you read Psalm 150, don’t be surprised if your heart resounds with “Amen!”  We were made to praise God, and we find our fullest joy in doing so.  In his Reflections on the Psalms, C.S. Lewis says, “In commanding us to glorify Him, God is inviting us to enjoy him.”  Sally Lloyd-Jones puts it even more simply in her book Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing, “When God says ‘Glorify me!’, He’s really saying ‘Be filled with joy!’  He knows it’s the thing your heart most needs to be happy.”  So today on this “Sábado de Gloria,” may the Lord fill us with joy as we worship Him.  Praise the Lord!