The Magnum Opus

Psalm 146-150 marks the grand finale of the psalms which crescendo in praise, upon mounting praise, upon high, high praise!

A devotional on Psalm 146

1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!

2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

The soul has no greater purpose than to praise the Lord. This is the ultimate in the concept of worship. My will, desires, passions, and motivations lift Jah up. My intellect with its focus, alertness, plans, problem-solving, humor, thinking, memories and recollections, wisdom and understanding, meditations and reflections, calculations and evaluations, words received and transmitted, and much more all are to lift Jah up. My emotions of joy and affection, fear and anger, excitement and anticipation, jealousy and hope are all to lift Jah up. Hallel Jah!

Determine to do this. Resolve to have this be your way of life during your few days here on earth, most of which may already be spent. Indeed, to praise is to live. If you are living and not praising, what are you doing that is of any worth?

3 Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.

4 When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.

The most powerful men, princes, have influence and clout. But they are like the dancing dolls at sales car lots. No sooner is the motor that inflates them turned off, then their frail fabric flails to the ground and all their actions and animated dancing come to naught. The son of man, adam, means the ‘earth born.’ All men, even the loftiest, are here by the grace of a breath. A mere breath, beloved. In due time, the owner of the breath recalls it, the earth born lump of flesh returns to its earth and becomes a small pile of dust, and his plans know him no more. Truly his life is but a vapor.

Three weeks ago, a beloved family member went into the hospital coughing up blood. An avid hunter, he had had a wonderful Fall season. Yesterday, he breathed his last breath. The family is reeling from the shock of it. Right before Christmas no less. I wonder what his plans were… They are no more. Ps. 144:4, “Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.”

5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God,

The more your help is in the God of Jacob, the happier you are. The more your hope is in the Lord your God and less in man, the happier you are.

6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever;

Man can create grand schemes and even accomplishments, but he can only keep faith for so long. Who are you waiting on to help you? Who owes you help? Who are you paying to help you physically, emotionally, financially, mentally? Don’t put all your weight on that foot. He who trusts in man chews on a broken tooth and stands on a broken foot, Pr. 25:19. Stand instead on the solid rock that is Jah. He alone keeps faith forever.

7 who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free;

8 the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.

9 The Lord watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

“All our various kinds of hunger are doors for God to come into our spirits.” Maclaren. Our great, mighty God cares for us, mere lumps of clay. In his grandeur, he is full of compassion, and tender kindness towards us. He ministers to us and oozes love for us. He advocates for us, frees us, feeds us, guides us, uplifts us, guards us, and provides for us. And he knows how to take care of the wicked to boot. Lift up your hands and let him in.

10 The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord!