Seven months. Seven months and about 180 readings. Seven months, 180-ish readings, and a lot of poetry. And how does it wrap up? Praise the LORD!

For half-a-year, it’s been an emotion-filled journey. Capturing the ups and downs of life; “the best of times and the worst of times”; the highs and lows of walking with God in the midst. Encompassing deep questions and high and lofty answers. Lament and elation. Doubt and certainty. And it concludes with a declaration, an invocation, the God-breathed consummation to “Praise the LORD!”

It closes with a command to obey.

Praise the LORD!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
praise Him in His mighty heavens!
Praise Him for His mighty deeds;
praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with trumpet sound;
praise Him with lute and harp!
Praise Him with tambourine and dance;
praise Him with strings and pipe!
Praise Him with sounding cymbals;
praise Him with loud clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!

Praise the LORD!

(Psalm 150 ESV)

Are you picking up the repetition there? Sensing that there’s “an ask” happening in this last song of the Psalter? Am I wrong in thinking this is a command to obey?

Where are you gonna praise the LORD? In His sanctuary . . . in His might heavens. Sounds like everywhere. No place an unfit place to declare the glories of God.

What are you gonna praise the LORD for? His mighty deeds . . . His excellent greatness. What He has done and who He is. The Scriptures record His great works, the heavens declare His glory. His fingerprints are all over history, His hand has been all over our lives already this week. Not His “so-so” deeds but His acts of power, strength, force, valor, and victory. Not His “meh” greatness, but His multi-faceted magnificence, His abundant preeminence.

How are you gonna praise the LORD? With everything you got! Loud trumpets, soft harps. Woodwinds and strings. Cymbals and even louder cymbals. Oh, and did you catch the “with dance” part. Talk about stepping outside your comfort zone!

And who is commanded to praise the LORD! Everybody! Everything that has breath . . .

Hmm . . . now ain’t that something to chew on? Brings to mind this favorite, golden-oldie Gaither moment . . . Singing with the Saints . . . shouldn’t we be practicing now what we’re gonna be doing then? I’m thinkin’ . . .

Finished the psalms this morning. When all is said and done, Praise the LORD!

Amen?

By His grace. For His glory.