As we read Psalm 113 both in NIV and The Message, many past and current melodies of praise are bombarding my mind!  In the melodies are memories of the saints of God who went before me in singing to the Redeemer of our souls.  I hear the bass and tenor of my dad and my uncle in the repeats of the refrains. I hear the melodies strongly played on the piano by my aunt with harmonies of alto strongly sang by my mom.  I hear the congregation joining them in praise like a heavenly choir.  All sang, no matter their abilities, as none of us were afraid or timid to make a joyful noise before the Lord!  When people sing of their Redeemer from their hearts; division diminishes and pure worship takes over.  God likes it that way. 

The Psalmists knew it and we know it.  Let’s just praise the Lord today, right where you are!  Listen as God puts rainbows of melodies in your hearts, too, as we praise Him.  This is my prayer for all who are reading this today.

I will sing of my Redeemer,
  And His wondrous love to me;
On the cruel cross He suffered,
  From the curse to set me free.

 Sing, oh, sing of my Redeemer,
  With His blood He purchased me,
On the cross He sealed my pardon,
    Paid the debt, and made me free.

I will tell the wondrous story,
  How my lost estate to save,
In His boundless love and mercy,
  He the ransom freely gave.

I will praise my dear Redeemer,
  His triumphant pow’r I’ll tell,
How the victory He giveth
  Over sin, and death, and hell.

I will sing of my Redeemer,
  And His heav’nly love to me;
He from death to life hath brought me,
  Son of God with Him to be.

(Lyrics: Philip Paul Bliss, 1838-1876, Music: James McGranahan, 1840-1907)

Psalm 113, The Message

³ Hallelujah!
You who serve God, praise God!
    Just to speak his name is praise!
Just to remember God is a blessing—
now and tomorrow and always.
From east to west, from dawn to dusk,
    keep lifting all your praises to God!

^4-9 God is higher than anything and anyone,
    outshining everything you can see in the skies.
Who can compare with God, our God,
    so majestically enthroned,
Surveying his magnificent
    heavens and earth?

He picks up the poor from out of the dirt,
    rescues the forgotten who’ve been thrown out with the trash,
Seats them among the honored guests,
    a place of honor among the brightest and best.
He gives childless couples a family,
    gives them joy as the parents of children.
Hallelujah!

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

We learn to praise God no matter our current circumstances.  Praising God gives Life to our souls!  When our hearts praise God our focus shifts from self and the Enemy and his demons who never ceases to distract us from God back to God.  In fact, the Enemy hates and flees from those who are engrossed in pure praise to our God!  His powers are limited when we praise God!  (Read that again!)

When we are fully focused on our praise at church instead of wondering if we turned the oven down on the Sunday meal or if others in the congregation are singing loud and strong enough; we glorify our God!  The Enemy of God is full of hate for God and hates our posture of praise and thanksgiving before God!  When we call on the Name of Jesus, our Enemy literally trembles!  Satan and his demon army knows Jesus well, knew Him before we knew Him!  Satan also knows the war has already been won by Jesus, but He will cause troubles until Jesus comes back on That Day to claim His own.  How do we know?  The Bible tells us so:

Take a moment and look at these verses:

• James 2:19: States that demons believe God is one and shudder or tremble in fear.
• Luke 10:17: The disciples return with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”
• Philippians 2:10-11: Every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth, at the name of Jesus.  (God proclaimed this about Jesus)
• Acts 16:18: Paul casts a spirit out of a woman by commanding it in the name of Jesus Christ. There is POWER in the name of Jesus!  And yes, this is another song of praise to our Lord!

But what is most important to think about is when our focus is continually on praising God; all the dark things and troublesome unbelievers of this world suddenly do indeed fall into the background of our thoughts. When we praise God with surrendered, pure hearts and focused minds on Him—there is no space left to worry about anything or anyone else!  Praise brings out the best in us as we glorify our God! God does not need our praise and adoration; we need to praise Him because our praise is good for us as it centers our beings on the One who created us in His own image, died and rose again to save us from our own self-centeredness!  Ah, there it is…the sin of self.

Yes, God knows exactly what we need—always!  And what we need most is to praise the One who knows us more than we know ourselves.  That’s probably why His first commandment is “I am the Lord your God… You shall have no other gods before me”, (Exodus 20:2) All other gods distract, deceive, cause division, with attempts to deconstruct our faith in the one true God who is active and alive today and desires His best for all who come before Him!  Guess what, self-centered us is the worst god of all to follow.  Worship God alone.

Max Lucado comments;

The next six psalms were used during the Passover, the Festival of Tabernacles, and other traditional Jewish festivals. Although the Israelites set aside one day a week to revere God, they used Scripture to encourage one another to have a thankful, loving attitude toward God.

Make no mistake. God has no ego problem. He does not reveal his glory for his good. We need to witness it for ours. We need a strong hand to pull us into a safe boat. And, once aboard, what becomes our priority?

Simple. Promote God. We declare his preeminence, “Hey! Strong boat over here! Able pilot! He can pull you out!”

Passengers promote the pilot. “Not to us, LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness” (115:1). If we boast at all, we “boast in the Lord” (2Co 10:17).

The breath you took as you read that last sentence was given to you for one reason, that you might for another moment mirror the glory of the Lord (see 2Co 3:18). God awoke you and me this morning for one purpose: “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples” (1Ch 16:24).

“For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever!” (Ro 11:36). “There is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live” (1Co 8:6, emphasis added).

Why does the earth spin? For him.

Why do you have talents and abilities? For him.

Why do you have money or poverty? For him.

Strength or struggles? For him.

Everything and everyone exists to reveal his glory.

Including you.

Learn to continually praise God. Praise God while you do dishes and while you drive your car. Fill everyday moments with praise.

Lord,

I praise you and thank you for this psalm that prompted so many thoughts of YOU!  I am praising now and forever in all that I think, say, and do for you alone are God, Savior, and Lord.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  I praise You from whom all blessings flow freely and forever!  To You be all glory, honor, and praise!

In Jesus Name, Amen

I’m yours and I’m listening with a ready heart to trust and obey for there’s no other Way…