Psalm 146 (Listen)

146:1   Praise the LORD!
  Praise the LORD, O my soul!
  I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
    I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
  Put not your trust in princes,
    in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
  When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
    on that very day his plans perish.
  Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
    whose hope is in the LORD his God,
  who made heaven and earth,
    the sea, and all that is in them,
  who keeps faith forever;
    who executes justice for the oppressed,
    who gives food to the hungry.
  The LORD sets the prisoners free;
    the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
  The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;
    the LORD loves the righteous.
  The LORD watches over the sojourners;
    he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
    but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
10   The LORD will reign forever,
    your God, O Zion, to all generations.
  Praise the LORD!




Devotional:

Praise to the Lord!

Praise: the expression of approval or admiration of someone or something. ‘Praise’ is mentioned 43 times in Psalm 146-150. Even that is not enough praise for the One who sacrificed it all for us to have eternal life. I believe the only way we can humanly demonstrate our praise to God is by living out a life fully submitted to Christ. That is, by humbly serving and devoting our lives to our God. Spend time praising God by reading and meditating over this collection of Psalms. 

Challenge: Worshiping God can be expressed in a multitude of ways. Seek out an opportunity to worship God outside of your norm. Start your day with Him – pray, journal, enjoy creation, love, reflect on His faithfulness, serve, meditate, give (time, talents, and treasures), fellowship, art, sharing your faith, humility, joy, etc. 

Reflection: Is there an area of your life that you may be worshiping other people/things over God?