Psalm 148
1 Praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD from the heavens,
praise him in the heights above.
2 Praise him, all his angels,
praise him, all his heavenly hosts.
3 Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, all you shining stars.
4 Praise him, you highest heavens
and you waters above the skies.
5 Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for he commanded and they were created.
6 He set them in place for ever and ever;
he gave a decree that will never pass away.
7 Praise the LORD from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,
8 lightning and hail, snow and clouds,
stormy winds that do his bidding,
9 you mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,
10 wild animals and all cattle,
small creatures and flying birds,
11 kings of the earth and all nations,
you princes and all rulers on earth,
12 young men and maidens,
old men and children.
13 Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
14 He has raised up for his people a horn,
the praise of all his saints,
of Israel, the people close to his heart.
Praise the LORD.
I stayed with some friends recently who live in a house on the ocean. I woke up sick one morning and lay in their guest bed, looking over the water at the mountains, fog, trees and birds outside. I was miserable and started to think about all the people in this world who do not know and accept Christ as their Savior. I started to wonder about the Lord’s plan to redeem the world (see Philippians 2:9-11). Soon, the Lord reassured me. He said, “I already have the water, mountains, fog, trees and birds. You just have to help me convince the humans that I am their Savior and worthy to be praised!”
The author of Psalm 148 comes to a beautiful and similar conclusion: God has created and Redeemed the universe. This scripture begins by calling the angels and the heavens to Praise the Lord (vs.1-6). It continues by addressing the creation of this world—everything from mountains and trees to men and women—to Praise him (vs.7-14). Every creation of God declares his Glory because he commanded us to exist and we did! And because of this glorious fact, we all should worship him.
But how can the author of Psalm 148 expect lowly humans to worship in the same way he expects the mighty angels to worship? Philippians 3:20-21 answers this question when it says: “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”
So because we are citizens of heaven we can worship God like we are already in heaven. And we are God’s masterpiece, an important part of his creation (see Ephesians 2:10). Even when we are miserable and sick in bed we are still part of the universe that was created to praise God. How do you praise God as a citizen of heaven? What can you do to help convince others that God is their Savior and worthy of praise?
Youth Department