Scripture: Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights!
Praise him all his angels; praise him all his hosts!
Praise him sun and moon; praise him all you shining stars!
Praise him you highest heavens and you waters above the heavens!
Let them praise the name of the Lord! (Ps 148:1-5a)
Observation: This is a section that runs my imagination upwards!
Analysis: Psalms is a great book to read; all 150 chapters of it.
I am convinced of this about Psalms: It is a book that can be used by the believer to assess how they are to talk; to pray; to praise; to be transparent. It is a book that shows me what real, godly conduct looks like using as example a man whom God called “a man after my own heart.” (Acts 13:22)
I have read this section of scripture several times over my life. What I imagine is David all by himself at night, hands raised, up on his feet, slowly turning around or walking towards different parts of the sky exhorting the heavens, the angels, the stars and the moon to praise the Name of the Lord.
It is like he is all by himself even if he is in his backyard. He shouts to the heavens, to the sky! He commands the trees, the rocks, the birds and the animals—the stars, the clouds—shouts at everything to exalt God.
I just finished glancing at the passage where David was dancing before Lord with all his might. In public. Wearing a linen ephod (whatever that is—sounds skimpy). His wife despised him, obviously thinking he was embarrassing himself (when the likely situation was that she was being snooty).
I am an older guy now, and God save me from thinking I should be dignified in my old age. May it never be!! If I cannot dance before the Lord because of my physicality, let my heart soar and my voice sing and shout with all the saints in heaven and on the earth.
Let everything I am praise the Lord.
Prayer: Lord, save me from being caught by the opinions of those around me. I don’t want to be a spectacle for a spectacle’s sake, drawing attention to myself…but I don’t want the attitudes of those around me to suppress proper exhibition and effort in praise and gratitude in worship. AMEN.