Let's Just Praise the Lord

Devotional

One of my favourite pieces of music is Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus". There is something immeasurably majestic about it when played up-tempo, and it's quite the treat watching an accomplished pianist 'riding' the waves of emotions that emanates from this piece, fingers literally flying across the keyboard. It is difficult for me to listen to, or watch a performance of it, without feeling a sense of awe.

I get the same feeling when I read Psalm 150. When read with passion, one feels the emotions of the Psalmist who it seem was conducting his own orchestra of things that should offer praise. Listen to the sound of the trumpets, the psaltery and harp chiming in. Hear the timbrel and see the dance, followed by sounds of the stringed instruments and organs. The momentum builds as the loud cymbals come in, then the high sounding cymbals, and to a rousing crescendo of voices he invites his entire audience, "Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD" (v.6). The most exciting thing about this invitation is that while we may never be able to play Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus", we are all offered a part in this great chorus of praise. We are encouraged to lift our voices and "Praise God in his sanctuary, praise him in the mighty heavens...for his mighty deeds...according to his excellent greatness"(vv.1-2).

There is no greater performance than that of praising the Lord. Webster defines praise as to "glorify (a god or saint) especially by the attribution of perfections", and we who serve the King of Kings know that our God is perfect and the only one worthy of all praise. The angels around the thone spend all their time singing his praises (Isaiah 6:3); everything that has breath can certainly join in and that includes you. When was the last time *you* really praised the Lord?