Words That Matter Most

“Praise the LORD, all nations; laud Him, all peoples.” Psalm 117:1

Words That Matter Most

Praise – In the shortest Psalm (only two verses), David gives us the greatest command:  everyone, everywhere is to praise God.  When life is boiled down to its absolutely essential ingredient, one thing remains:  praise.  Without praise, life is empty of its true meaning.  Without praise, the real design of human existence remains unfulfilled.  Without praise, we wander on our own.  Praise is the stitching in the fabric of living.

Since praise is so important, it’s fair to ask what this word really means.  Is it found in the worship team leading a congregation in familiar, video-projected choruses?  Is it uplifted hands or bowed heads?  Is it invocations, blessings and the other rituals of Sunday morning?  Or is it the quiet meditation of the sunrise or the sweet stillness in a summer afternoon?

Halal covers a wide range of human interactions.  Extolling beauty (Genesis 12:15), recognizing status (1 Kings 20:11), acknowledging worthiness (proverbs 31:28) and even worshipping false gods (Judges 16:24).  But most of the time halal is used to praise the God of Israel.  It is usually a command.  And it is usually plural.  Praising God is an expectation of His congregation.  It’s something we are to do together.

What are we supposed to do?  We are to recognize, acknowledge and proclaim God’s absolute trustworthiness and full sufficiency.  With delight and joy, we are to give free reign to our expression of God’s majesty over all creation.  We are to bask in His goodness with gratitude and expectation.

If you stood before a ruler who had absolute charge over your life, whose word could alter everything about your existence, and who told you that he loved you and wanted only what was best for you, how would you respond?  What would you say and do if you knew that everything he said was completely reliable and nothing could ever prevent it from happening?  Would you be joyful?  Enthusiastic?  Unrestrained?  Delighted?

When God calls all the earth to praise Him, are you singing your part in the song?