Worthy of Praise


Let all creation bless the Name of the Lord our God! I bless You, Lord.


Read: PSALMS 134:1-135:21

[1]A song of ascents. Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD who minister by night in the house of the LORD. [2] Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD. [3] May the LORD bless you from Zion, he who is the Maker of heaven and earth. [1] Praise the LORD. Praise the name of the LORD; praise him, you servants of the LORD, [2] you who minister 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 praise to his name, for that is pleasant. [4] For the LORD has chosen Jacob to be his own, Israel to be his treasured possession. [5] I know that the LORD is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods. [6] The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths. [7] He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses. [8] He struck down the firstborn of Egypt, the firstborn of people and animals. [9] He sent his signs and wonders into your midst, Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants.[10] He struck down many nations and killed mighty kings- [11] Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kings of Canaan- [12] and he gave their land as an inheritance, an inheritance to his people Israel. [13] Your name, LORD, endures forever, your renown, LORD, through all generations. [14] For the LORD will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants. [15] The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by human hands. [16] They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. [17] They have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths. [18] Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them. [19] All you Israelites, praise the LORD; house of Aaron, praise the LORD; [20]house of Levi, praise the LORD; you who fear him, praise the LORD. [21] Praise be to the LORD from Zion, to him who dwells in Jerusalem. Praise the LORD. 

Reflect: Do you live in order that God might be blessed?

What do we really mean when we say that God is "worthy of our praise"? If we're not careful, this can become hollow Christian jargon, a familiar chorus lyric that we might not have taken the time to properly think through.

These two psalms--worship songs of a different kind--call us to worship the God who is worth praising, whose incredible acts and extraordinary character are deserving of our worship. He's the God who: created the heavens and the earth (134:3); is greater than all other "gods" (135:5); controls our environment (135:7); defeats the enemies of his people (135:10); and endures forever (135:13).

Because of who God is, and what he has done, he deserves our praise and worship. Sometimes it can be easy to forget this when we come to worship; we can be guilty of evaluating God based on his recent intervention (or lack of it) in our own lives. The truth is that--as the song goes--whether we're found in the desert place or among streams of abundance, we should bless his name, because his name is worth blessing ("Blessed Be Your Name," Matt and Beth Redman).


Write your own short psalm, song or poem of praise to God, recognizing who he is and what he has done.


Faithful God, You are worthy of lives that are given to praise You!


Syndicated via Scripture Union




Terry Schneider