December 25 - 31 Daily Meditations in the Psalms
December 25
Psalms 145
1. I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.
2. Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.
3. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.
4. One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.
5. I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.
6. And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness.
7. They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.
8. The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.
9. The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.
10. All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee.
11. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;
12. To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.
13. Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.
14. The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.
15. The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.
16. Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.
17. The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.
18. The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
19. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.
20. The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.
21. My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.
This Psalm clearly reveals a man with a love for God and he cannot find enough ways to express it. Man is to conduct an unending search to uncover the greatness of God, in order to increasingly improve his praise and worship. He wants everybody to join him and then wants to pass his passion down to the next generations.
Praise to God is universal business. There is no limit or end to His worthiness and there should be an increasing circumference of utterance and song unto Him around the world. The highest glory of His manifested work is His mercy, which is performed in righteousness and holiness. This Psalm exalts the goodness and mercy of God, without compromising His rectitude in the slightest degree.
December 26
Psalms 146
1. Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul.
2. While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.
3. Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.
4. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.
5. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:
6. Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:
7. Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners:
8. The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous:
9. The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.
10. The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD.
Praise seems to become increasingly exuberant as we near the end of the Psalms. The prayers are similar and the problems are similar, but at this point, the faithfulness of the Lord has been proven again and again and the soul rises in full confidence. The admonition of the praise-filled heart is to turn away from man-trust. Those living on the same level cannot lift one another, but the God who made heaven and earth is our effective help and hope. He is unwaveringly true and faithful. He judges in favor of the oppressed, feeds the hungry, frees the bound and the blind see. He is a loving Friend to the righteous. In contrast, there are no guarantees for the wicked, only confusion and unrealized ambitions.
December 27
Psalms 147:1-9
1. Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.
2. The LORD doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.
3. He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.
4. He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.
5. Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.
6. The LORD lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.
7. Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:
8. Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.
9. He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.
The final Psalms do a great work and serve a preordained purpose, when they encourage us to praise. The building, which has been prayerfully constructed throughout the book, is now ready for its glorious roof. It is capped with praise that springs from the heart, because God has been revealed to that one. Praise is good, pleasant and fitting. It is the purpose behind the ingathering of lost souls and the edification of the church. It is the result of observing His healing power in the broken-hearted. It is the effect of the opening of our spiritual eyes to see the might of the Creator and the wonder of His condescension to the meek. We observe the hand of God in clouds, rain, grass, beasts and birds and song bursts forth.
December 28
Psalms 147:10-20
10. He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man.
11. The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.
12. Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion.
13. For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within thee.
14. He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.
15. He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly.
16. He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes.
17. He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold?
18. He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow.
19. He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel.
20. He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD.
We see the might of God in cold winters and spring thaws. Greater than all the messages of nature is His converting word to man. Mankind in general can taste His creative powers, but only the saved sinner experiences His word, judgments and statutes. They are too high for natural men. Therefore, this praise is reserved for the spiritual nation, which is capable of hearing from heaven.
We see an uncovering of divine preference. God does not delight in a man’s natural ability and strength, but in his worshipful and trusting fear. Totally consistent with godly fear is hope in his mercy. His people come to know a mercy that works in them now and continues into eternity. He is their defense and the preserver of their children. He gives them peace and supplies all their needs. “He hath not dealt so with any other nation.”
December 29
Psalms 148
1. Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights.
2. Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.
3. Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light.
4. Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.
5. Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created.
6. He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass.
7. Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:
8. Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his word:
9. Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars:
10. Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl:
11. Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth:
12. Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children:
13. Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.
14. He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the LORD.
Sometimes I think I would like to scratch the word should from my vocabulary, because it doesn’t express a service worthy unto God. Certainly we should praise Him, but I see something beyond duty in the closing chapters of the Psalms. They start with heavenly praise, where the hosts of God dwell. Angels do not praise God because they should. They, who experience the presence of God, know the secret of perfect praise and we must learn from them.
Well, the word learn is also inadequate. I am not speaking of a classroom atmosphere, but of entering into the realm of the overflowing spirit that gushes ceaseless billows of praise. Nature usually does that better than man does. It seems to go beyond itself in expressing the glory of God, for which it was created. The sun shines in overflowing abundance and the rain comes down in sheets. Fire is too hot, snow too cold, mountains too high, hills too many, and the wind is too strong. What the Lord covets above all is the praise of men and He has given them the potential to do it, beyond that of the forces of nature. Highest praise comes from lost men, who have found their way back to the Creator and Savior. They experience and manifest the glory of the living God. He exalts them, for they are carriers of the song of praise and they draw nearest to His heart. They do not perform out of duty, but from an overflowing spring, full of the water of life.
December 30
Psalms 149
1. Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.
2. Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
3. Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.
4. For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.
5. Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.
6. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand;
7. To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;
8. To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;
9. To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.
I believe, we are going to enter into a new level of anointing and praise for these last moments of time. In these days, nobody seems to be able to do anything, except what he has learned from other men. We need a fresh infusion of Spirit-inspired and Spirit-led worship, a direct connection between creature and Creator, to bring forth the potential instilled by creation and re-creation. If we are to provide pleasure to our King, then our song ought not to be somber. We will manifest a joy that is not extinguished after a meeting, but will take it home with us. Let there be a people, who are a joy to their God and a terror before their enemies. Zeal for the Lord is our forte and we are to be radical praisers and warriors. As Noah, we will condemn the world, bringing judgments upon nations, not by organized effort, but by effective spiritual means, God manifesting His power through our obedience.
December 31
Psalms 150
1. Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.
2. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.
3. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.
4. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
5. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
6. Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.
The Psalms culminate in praise. The purpose of creation, the reason for history, the crucifixion, resurrection, outpouring of the Spirit and the birth and building of the church has one great aim and one alone. It is all for the praise and glory of God. Everything else takes a distant second place. Even spiritual battle, which continues through chapter 149, is absent from this last chapter. In Psalms 150, there is nothing but praise. Everything is directed towards Him, is heavenly in origin and meets heavenly standards. God is praised for His person and His deeds. Instruments of every kind, along with spirit, soul and sanctified human bodies, rise together in crescendo until everything and everybody is wrapped up in praise. Breath is returned to God with profit.
There is a hallowed place consecrated only to God. It is a place where He can take off His shoes and feel at home. Everything there is geared to his pleasure and comfort and He freely performs His work from that place. It is His sanctuary. I am not talking about building or acreage. May God be praised in His flesh-and-blood, human sanctuary. Praise ye the Lord. Be sure you individually find your place, instrument, and Holy Spirit-equipped ministry of praise and join the one, all-encompassing purpose. Praise the Lord - not for something, but simply, praise the Lord!
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