Yesterday, on Palm Sunday, I encouraged us to take time this week to prepare our hearts for the special weekend ahead, as we celebrate Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday.
Every Sunday as we gather as a church, Pastor Chris and the worship team put together a “set” of songs for us to sing, which help lead us to praise God rightly and “prepare the soil of our hearts” to hear the Word of God as it is preached. In a similar way, on the week of Passover the Jewish people would recite (sing) a particular “set” of Psalms each day. Psalms 113-118 were the “song set” for Passover week, and this week I am encouraging each of us to read those Psalms (one a day) leading up to Resurrection Sunday. Today we will look at Psalm 113.
“Praise the LORD! Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD!…From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised!…Praise the LORD!” Psalm 113:1,2,9
Some instructions bear repeating! It is always important to sit up and take notice when God’s word repeats something…especially commands.
Psalm 113 begins and ends with the command to “Praise the LORD!” and nestled in between those bookends of our responsibility to praise God, are some of the many reasons God deserves our praise.
GOD’S PRAISE IS TIMELESS! In other words, there has never been, and never will be, a time when God’s name isn’t BLESSED…from the time the sun comes up until the time it goes down…from the first moment of life, until our last breath…”the name of the LORD is to be praised!” (v.3)
GOD’S NAME IS MATCHLESS! The expanses of heaven and earth sit squarely under His feet and under His good rule. His endless worth extends “up and out” farther than we could ever comprehend. There is no one like our God!
Although God is supremely high above us, seated in the heavens, he “looks far down on the heavens and earth” (v.6). He looks down, He sees, He cares and He knows. In the gospel story we see Jesus not only looking down to the earth, but coming all the way down to earth. He raises the poor from the dust (v.7) by becoming poor Himself, so that through His poverty we might become rich! He lifts the needy (v.7) by becoming needy himself, stricken with sorrows and acquainted with grief…all of it was laid upon Him so the needy can experience wholeness and healing! Even the barren woman is given a home (v.9), by her inclusion in the family of God through the work of Jesus — Joy now fills her home as she becomes the joyous mother of biological children and/or the joyous mother of spiritual children she disciples in the family of God.
Today, ask yourself the simple questions…
What reasons do I have to praise God?
How can I connect this Psalm to the work of Jesus in my life?
Let’s praise the name of the LORD together this week!
