Praise

Psalm 135
Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord;
Praise Him, O servants of the Lord,
2 You who stand in the house of the Lord,
In the courts of the house of our God!
3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
Sing praises to His name, for it is lovely.
4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel for His own possession.
5 For I know that the Lord is great
And that our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatever the Lord pleases, He does,
In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps.
7 He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth;
Who makes lightnings for the rain,
Who brings forth the wind from His treasuries.
8 He smote the firstborn of Egypt,
Both of man and beast.
9 He sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt,
Upon Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 He smote many nations
And slew mighty kings,
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
And Og, king of Bashan,
And all the kingdoms of Canaan;
12 And He gave their land as a heritage,
A heritage to Israel His people.
13 Your name, O Lord, is everlasting,
Your remembrance, O Lord, throughout all generations.
14 For the Lord will judge His people
And will have compassion on His servants.
15 The idols of the nations are but silver and gold,
The work of man’s hands.
16 They have mouths, but they do not speak;
They have eyes, but they do not see;
17 They have ears, but they do not hear,
Nor is there any breath at all in their mouths.
18 Those who make them will be like them,
Yes, everyone who trusts in them.
19 O house of Israel, bless the Lord;
O house of Aaron, bless the Lord;
20 O house of Levi, bless the Lord;
You who revere the Lord, bless the Lord.
21 Blessed be the Lord from Zion,
Who dwells in Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!

If you ever wondered why you should praise God, this Psalm is not short on reasons. This Psalm repeatedly declares Praise to God and describes many of His praiseworthy actions and attributes.

Verse 3 says we should praise him because He is good. The same verse says we should praise him because IT is good; it brings us true pleasure to do so. This is because praising God fits our most fundamental longings. We were created to glorify God and enjoy Him, and by increasingly enjoying Him we increasingly glorify Him.

But this praise doesn’t just move in one direction. God also is to be praised because he treasures his people. Astonishingly, in his grace he finds us valuable. He regards us as dear possessions, which is a claim as amazing as it is comforting.

But this Psalm is a study in contrast. It puts the praiseworthiness of the living God up against the idols of the nations. These idols made with human hands have no real power. They are made of valuable metals—silver and gold—but they cannot provide the love, forgiveness, and guidance we so desperately need. They do not see, speak, or hear, which is to say they produce no living Word, nor can they hear a single earnest prayer. But paradoxically they do have the power to make us like them. The worship of idols can keep us both spiritually blind and unable to see as well as spiritually lame and unable to change.

The idols of the heart in today’s world are not as overt as golden statues. In fact, they are often good gifts of God that our hearts make more important than Him. These are the idols we look to give us the significance and security that can come only from God. 

What idols of the heart do you turn to for significance and security?

What praiseworthy attributes or actions of God are currently at the front of your mind?


Heavenly Father, I will never be able to love you as I ought until I discard competing loves. Purify my heart to rejoice in you above all things. Oh how much better and wiser will I love and enjoy all the people and things in my life if I love you best and first. Amen.