Welcome to week 3!

If you’re just starting out with us, you might be interested in reading Week One HERE and Week Two HERE 🙂

Hey friends! Studying these Psalms has been incredible! I love soaking in God’s Word and am glad that you are joining me. Today we have a great psalm of praise, Psalm 113, that has really challenged me and motivated me to truly live my best life: a life that praises and honors the Lord.

Psalm 113

1 Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, you his servants; praise the name of the LORD.

2 Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore.

3 From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.

4 The Lord is exalted over all nations, his glory above the heavens.

5 Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high,

6 who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?

7 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap;

8 he seats them with princes, with the princes of his people.

9 He settles the childless woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord. We hear that often, don’t we? In cases both big and small, we hear this phrase so much that it has almost lost it’s meaning. Today we’ll see that this is so much more than just three small words to say when the moment strikes.

Call to Praise

It might seen like the psalmist is being just a little too repetitive here by stating that the Lord should be praised three different times in one single verse (verse 1). However, it goes to show that we need the reminder! We see that it’s not only a simple statement but a calling. He is urging us to get fired up about the Lord! We can say those words but the emotion behind the praise and the way we use our lives to lift up His name is a high calling for those of us who are servants of the Lord. And it is His people, those that know Him best, that are to praise name.

But, if you’re like me, it can be hard to lift up praise. Life is rough or just plain mundane and praise falls away. Sometimes I get “used to” God. Maybe the newness of how amazing He is wears off just a bit or I find that I’m missing Him, not connecting with Him or enjoying Him. The enjoyment of God can easily get lost in day to day life. But the more we can enjoy God the more that we will find ourselves praising Him. Who hasn’t sung the praises of the latest binge-worthy TV show they just devoured or gave recommendations to friends of that awesome new restaurant? When we enjoy something, we want to praise it and we share it; it just comes naturally.

Continue to Praise

Verse 2 gives us the “when” to praise by telling us that “the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore.” As we honor and exalt the name of the Lord, we are lifting up His character, who He is. And as we get to know Him, there will be more and more reasons to praise Him. Thus, our praise should continue on and on until forever! In other words, not just in our lifetime but for generations to come. Pass on praise to your children! Plant the seeds of praise so that it continues to grow in your children and in their children. Isn’t that an amazing thought? Imagine the legacy of praise that you can begin right now for your family!

The “where” is found in verse 3. “From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.” God should be praised everywhere and anywhere! In other words, it’s always the time and place to praise the Lord.

Reasons to Praise

We’re then directed to why we should praise. He breaks it down into two main reasons:

• God is great and high above: He is over all nations (v. 4), has glory above the heavens (v. 4), sits enthroned on high (v. 5), and nothing compares to Him (v. 5). We can’t comprehend how great our God is! There is no one that He can be compared to, nothing that He is not above or greater than.
• He swoops down to those who need Him: God sees our situations and raises us up. He cares about each of us individually and rescues us (v. 7). Even though He is far above us, He comes down low to be with us. He gives us more than we can imagine and brings us into His joy (v. 8)

I don’t know about you but I was very challenged by this psalm! So often my words and life are not of praise but of complaints. God is so deserving of my praise and yet it doesn’t happen often enough. Everyday we have the opportunity to sow the seeds of praise, speak words that lift up God’s name, and commit actions that honor Him. Let’s find our praise and give it to Him! We can be the people of God who begin a legacy of praise in our lives right now no matter where we are at, no matter what is going on in our lives. Let’s start today!

Reflection Questions

Do you find yourself complaining more than praising?

How does it help to focus on the reasons why God should be praised?

Challenge

Fill your thoughts with praise! Listen to your favorite praise and worship music (start with the video below!). If you haven’t started a gratitude journal, start one now! List the reasons why are you thankful and praise the Lord for them.

Hope you are enjoying these studies as much as I am! Have a great week and I will see you next Wednesday, friends!