Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights! [Psalm 148:1]
Psalm 148 is a great psalm of joy and praise to God. It is exhilarating to read, especially when read aloud. After reading through it several times and meditating on the exhortation, I had two thoughts.
Who am I?
In the midst of all creation praising him, my voice, my life, seems insignificant. The list of things who by their very nature, and without a corrupt, sinful heart, praise him, is overwhelming: angels, sun & moon, stars, sea creatures, the ocean, the weather, mountains, fruit trees, cedar trees, animals & birds, kings, princes, and rulers.
Who am I, that my voice would be heard, or found pleasant, in such company? I feel very small by comparison. I’m no king or ruler, and certainly not as grand and majestic as the ocean or a mountain range. And my heart is full of sinful corruption. If I should join my voice to creation’s chorus, I would ruin it.
Praise the Lord!
Yet, the psalmist exhorts me to add my voice to creation’s chorus. Surely I am part of the “all peoples” of verse 11, and the Creator welcomes my voice.
How amazing is it to lend my voice of praise to this majestic choir? My voice, raised in praise to my Maker, is truly in harmony with the stars, with the mountains and oceans, with the song birds, with the sweetness of the fruit trees, and with the strength of the cedar trees.
Many people seek harmony with nature. Here it is right here. You desire harmony with nature? Sing along! All creation is praising the Lord. Join your voice to creation’s chorus, and find joy in the singing.
photo credit: Floyd Manzano
Leave a Reply