Psalm 146:1-7

I love how the psalmist pens, “Let all that I am praise the Lord.” He holds nothing back. With every fiber of his being, he declares that he will praise the Lord—reasons for which are abundant, as we will see in this Psalm.

The psalmist also makes a clear distinction regarding where his trust lies. He admonishes his listeners not to place their confidence in even powerful people. When it comes to matters of life and death, the rich and the poor alike have their appointed time. There is only One who can give us life, and only One who can deliver us from death.

“Joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper.” It is interesting how he clarifies exactly who it is he serves. There is only one true God—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Yet mankind worships many ‘gods.’ So when someone refers to worshiping “the Lord,” we must clarify which “lord” they are referring to. We do not all serve the same Lord. John made this distinction clear when he declared that Jesus is the “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16).

Consider Paul’s words:

“You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols. So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.”
—1 Corinthians 12:2–3 (NLT)

This makes me think about how many people use the Lord’s name as a curse word. Do you ever wonder why that is? When was the last time you heard someone in their frustration say, “Oh Devil,” or “Oh Buddha”? For many, the Lord’s name comes out of their mouths quite frequently, but rarely in praise or adoration.

We are given this warning in Ezekiel:

“Your priests have violated my instructions and defiled my holy things. They make no distinction between what is holy and what is not. And they do not teach my people the difference between what is ceremonially clean and unclean. They disregard my Sabbath days so that I am dishonored among them.”
—Ezekiel 22:26 (NLT)

For some, the Lord’s name has become nothing more than a figure of speech, and therein lies the problem. We treat what is holy—not even as common—but as something debased. Not to mention that one of the Ten Commandments instructs us not to use the Lord’s name in vain. Even more concerning is what this reveals: a lack of reverence, rooted in a lack of relationship. It is our connection with Him that saves us in the end.

What were Jesus’ words?

“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’”
—Matthew 7:21–23 (NLT)

This should prompt us to examine where we stand with the Lord. Do we praise Him with all our being, or do we merely offer lip service? Such examination should be done sooner rather than later, for we do not know the number of our days.

Food for thought…