Day 19

The Final Hallelujah

from the Amen & Amen reading plan


Psalm 145:1-21, Psalm 146:1-10, Psalm 147:1-20, Psalm 148:1-14, Psalm 149:1-9, Psalm 150:1-6

BY Kara Gause

Book V
Book V is an invitation to exuberant praise; it is worship in light of God’s covenant love, His Word, and the reminder that His promise of David’s neverending throne would be fulfilled in the Messiah.


I attended a funeral yesterday, one that left me slack-jawed with wonder. It was a beautiful celebration of a man, to be sure, by his family, friends, and a community who will feel the loss of him deeply. Yet, I’ve never been so struck by the idea that life can be understood as a song, and  humans as instruments of praise. 

What struck me so much about the service is how a life will continue to sing days, weeks, and years after the man, a vessel of praise, breathed his last breath. The lyric and music ring out and thrum, echoing and joining with a chorus of saints for all time and eternity, singing, “Hallelujah! My soul, praise the LORD. I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing to my God as long as I live” (Psalm 146:1–2).

The Hebrew word hallelujah is an exhortation to “praise Him,” Him being Yahweh, “Maker of heaven and earth” (v.6). We are to acknowledge Him in our actions, give thanks to Him in our hearts, proclaim His goodness and faithfulness in our testimony, uttering praise to Him even with our breath (Psalm 145:7). In today’s reading, the writer of Psalm 150 invites and implores us to actively do just that: “Let everything that breathes praise the LORD. Hallelujah!” (Psalm 150:6). 

This is an act of vulnerability, requiring us to lay down our will to seek His, and so who we believe God to truly be matters. Each psalmist from today’s reading sets out to remind us, and likely themselves, of who God is, what He has done, and why He alone is worthy of our praise. He exhorts all creation—from angel armies in the highest heavens to creatures that crawl in the earth’s temporal dust—to praise Him (Psalm 148:1–6). We’re reminded that the Lord is just and holy, His acts mighty and awe-inspiring, yet He’s also “gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and great in faithful love” to everyone and everything He’s made (Psalm 145:8–9). His greatness and power are unsearchable, completely unfathomable to our minds (v.3).

Take this in: “the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation” (Psalm 149:4). In a world that shifts its attention and devotion on a whim, the Lord is constant and does not swerve from His purposes. His is a love worthy of our loud, joyful, and unabashed praise, with all the instruments available to us but none more vital than our quiet, awe-filled devotion. As long as we have breath, may our days whisper His song. May the testimony of our lives never cease to sing about His wonder. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

Post Comments (56)

56 thoughts on "The Final Hallelujah"

  1. Stormi Messmer says:

    ❤️

  2. Cristina Higgins says:

    Heidi, I have a sticky this morning reminding me to watch for your name and, hopefully, find out how things are going with you all. Know that you are being prayed for every day and thought about often. Listen to God, He has this, no matter what!

  3. Truth Seeker says:

    MICHELLE PATIRE – You may not think it is lyrically impressive but the words are !
    I would love to hear you sing and play it. Simplicity is wonderful and God loves to hear us sing to Him.

  4. Victoria E says:

    Heidi- God will make a way. He always does. I am praying on your behalf for His will to be done in your life.

  5. Michelle Patire says:

    @Mercy, I hope you see this! I noticed you just made a post and the grace day is gone!
    I was so thankful to see your comment yesterday. It blessed me.

    Yesterday, the Lord told me to go to this songwriter’s open mic that I really like that’s held once a month. I shared three songs – two originals and one cover. It was really cool because the second song is a “worship” song I wrote on ukulele. It’s very simple —- the lyrics are very basic and I wrote it very quickly. Usually, the lyrics are well thought out and songs take more time. What I like about it is the freedom of it. I left the end to be a spontaneous part because I want it to be truly a place where I get be myself with God. Lyrically, it is not impressive, but it’s a message about my season of faith. I will share it :

    “Faithful Infinite”

    There is no doubt about,
    The love I feel surrounds,
    The love I feel surrounds me.
    (Yeah yeah yeah)

    You’re all I think about
    And what I dream about.
    Never lost with out you.
    (Yeah yeah yeah)

    Chorus
    ***
    Love like no other,
    Can’t be what I need
    (You’re what I need)

    Faithful infinite,
    Can’t be what I see.
    (You’re what I see)
    Now

    You’re all I need around me
    (Yeah yeah yeah)
    You’re all I see around me
    (Yeah yeah yeah)
    You’re all I feel around me
    (Yeah yeah yeah)
    Now
    ***

    And when no one’s around
    I know you can be found
    You’re always here around me
    (Yeah yeah yeah)

    And I know without
    Your loving arms around
    I’d be lost without you
    (Yeah yeah yeah)

    Chorus ***

    Spontaneous worship

    You’re all I need around me
    (Yeah yeah yeah)
    You’re all I see around me
    (Yeah yeah yeah)
    You’re all I feel around me
    (Yeah yeah yeah)
    Now

  6. Mercy says:

    Heidi, praying for you. I also know two persons in the past few years that were called into bible college and walking the exact same path. It’s a privilege but it’s a mental battle. One of them was an international student, called to come to Canada to study for a master degree at a renowned bible college, with absolutely no finance back up. He was on scholarship but he wouldn’t know until last minute like the first week of September. Fast forward, covid happened at the tail end of his first year. 2nd year the school said we don’t think we have funding. But turns out he got even more for the 2nd year after being rejected twice for scholarship of second year, but somehow he got tuition and living expense on campus. And now he will be a pastor soon in another province of Canada. And he walked a very difficult 2 year in Canada, dealing with culture shock, unsure of where finance coming from, no families, just church friends (us), and then covid isolation. And then he shared with me how these 2 years were the hardest. Faith called him to somewhere he didn’t want to be. He said he could be homeless if the school chose to close down the campus, thankfully they didn’t, but closed down the cafeteria, no food, which some of us from church cooked meals and brought to him weekly. But it was so much of the unknown. Now that it’s behind, there are moments he would feel so worn down and asked me to pray. And I told him the Lord helped you through a lot, God chose you to survive covid isolation, and be a scholarship recipient. And he said he got over $50,000 for two years schooling (tuition plus a private room on campus). He forgot about that. On hind sight, none of this came easy ahead of time. God gives us more than enough but not so much as to free us from dependence on Him. It is still a storm at times walking through the ordained path. I will pray for your courage and more trust to walk this difficult journey. And remember, the Lord walks with you!

  7. Kelly (NEO) says:

    Grace Day posted on the He Reads Truth site ❤

  8. Hissparrow says:

    This was such a good devotion. Every day that I read the Psalms, God’s grandeur, His Holiness, His Righteousness, His Mercy, and everything that He is are my reasons for devoting a life of Praise to Him.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *