Sing Your Praise to the LORD

Psalm 113:3-9: "From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised. The LORD is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens. Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people. He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the LORD."

One of my favorite Christian songs of all time is from the late Christian musician, Rich Mullins, entitled "Sing Your Praise to the LORD." In the bridge of this song, the above verses are quoted, which really gives the singer THE reason why one is to sing praises to the LORD. We know that the LORD is exalted above all. He sits enthroned on high and "stoops down" to give us His love and care at all times. And even though we may find ourselves without the benefits of worldly privilege and affluence, the LORD will raise us up at the proper time and establish us for all eternity as His adopted sons of daughters . . . children of the Almighty King.

For this reason, our souls should be overflowing with the joy of our salvation, and we should be praising the name of the LORD from the moment of our rising ("the rising of the sun") until the last moment of consciousness before our sleep ("the place where it [the sun] sets"). At all times and in all places, our primary thought should be one of praise and adoration of the One True LORD of hosts, and only an attitude of genuine awe and gratefulness to the LORD will display such a disposition. Otherwise we will fall back into the ways of our selfishness and begin to seek our own appetites over glorifying the LORD.

Let us not forget the awesomeness of the LORD and His loving kindness to us. Let us reflect upon the extraordinary privilege of our adoption into His royal family with all of the benefits contained therein. And let us sing our praises to the LORD genuinely and wholeheartedly.