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!
Seems to be no weekly truth as yet…
Morning All!
With the breathe I have Lord God, I will forever praise you!
Hallelujah.
Hallelujah.
Hallelujah.
AMEN.
Happy weekend my dears wrapped in love hugs and prayers, always..❤
Searching- thank you so much for the prayers. Still feeling nor so great, but I am praising the Lord as much as I am able to right now with you all!
Rebecca, thank you for sharing. I love that quote you shared. “Your trust is in the wrong place. You are trusting in outcomes-in things you think ought to happen. I want you to trust in me!” My three children don’t know the Lord. I constantly pray for them and my grandchildren and just don’t feel like I’m doing enough. But God…He knows my heart and he knows how desperately they need Him. I will be praying for your family and all who have children and grandchildren needing His mercy and Grace. Keeping all of your requests in prayer. Blessed weekend ladies. Praise the Lord!
I’m so thankful the Lord is forever and unchanging. Even when so many things in our lives changes, he doesn’t❤️
“Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and the two edged sword in their hand, to execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishment upon the people, to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron, to execute upon them the judgment written: this honor have all his saints. Praise ye the Lord” Psalm 149:6-9. This verse caught me by surprise. This shows how much the authority a child of God (saint) is entitled to.
Dear sisters, may I say when I read what all of you have had to share, in your pain and suffering, I sat and cried in front of my computer (tear duct cleanse in the morning as a she called it). And I rejoiced with tears of happiness when seeing your testimonies of victories that God brought you through. It happened today as well reading many beautiful stories today.
@Michelle Patire, wow an amazing super fast healing. A bike ride sounds amazing now that you mentioned it lol. About your music, I would love to read one of your new music lyrics one of these days Michelle if you like to share. The one you shared last time was beautiful and I absolutely adored it.
@Rhonda J, praying for your grandchildren, Braydon is it? I hope I remember correctly. I am so touched by your tender love for him.
@Taylor: may you have a wonderful meet up with your friend, regardless! Excited for you.
@Jenifer loves Jesus: thank you for sharing your feelings with us. As a military wife, I relate to what you said. But oh how God has been faithful through every single up and down. With God all things are possible. Praying for more strength for you, and may you be the shining light of courage and hope to those around you.
Have a lovely weekend my sweet sisters. Be blessed.
Hello friends!
I am feeling much better, today. Today is my sabbath, hence the late post. I’m at one of my favorite places – Whole Foods Market, enjoying a late lunch with the Lord.
I went to a prayer meeting yesterday with some women in the local area. There are two beautiful women hosting in almost every week while it’s still nice out. The minute I got there, I noticed my cramps and pain had ceased. I even wrote a prayer request just in case, but I felt fine. I even went for a bike ride yesterday and no pain!!! Hallelujah for that! I stopped taking the antibiotics bc I don’t see a need for them. As my sample came back negative with other test. Praise the Lord. I pray my body flushed out anything that caused me pain and God healed up any wounds down there.
These Psalms are just prayers for me. I basically wrote down all of Psalm 145 because it was just beautiful.
I continue to meditate on God’s mercy. It outlasts our human frames. I am believing God to bless me with my longings- my music to be shared with the public and my family, a future husband, and a generation that praises God through my womb. I am single but ready and open for the Lord’s blessings. How imperfect we are, yet how faithful God is to care for us so deeply. May people taste and see His goodness through our lives– all of it. The messy and the polished, He wastes nothing. Amen and amen.
Hallelujah! Jennifer Loves Jesus, I love what you wrote about the SRT ladies and the posts are twinkling stars in the sky! And thank you for sharing the memorization tip last weekend. So happy for Rhonda J ‘s nephew wanting a cross and Dorothy’s family with baby George! I needed a tissue this morning. Also praying for the requests on here of so many.