Psalm 148 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 148 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights!
Verse 2Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his host!
Verse 3Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars!
Verse 4Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!
Verse 5Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created.
Verse 6He established them forever and ever; he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.
Verse 7Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps,
Verse 8fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fulfilling his command!
Verse 9Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars!
Verse 10Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds!
Verse 11Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth!
Verse 12Young men and women alike, old and young together!
Verse 13Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his glory is above earth and heaven.
Verse 14He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his faithful, for the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the Lord!
Devotion
A new word is spoken and the result is something being created. This is not magic, but the voice of our living and creating God. We are reminded of this in verse 5 of today’s text, which says, “for he commanded and they were created.”
What does it mean for us to be the creation of a God who speaks a word and it becomes reality? The answer is found in this psalm. We praise God from the depths of our being. And we call to join in this praise with all of creation: angels and the heavens, creatures of land and sea, weather and all of nature and people of every station in life.
Praise the Lord, the God of all creation!
Prayer
Creating and sustaining God, you have created us and we are yours. Grant that we may rejoice in our lives and praise you from the depths of our being. May our lives reflect your love and your glory at home, in our neighborhoods and around the world. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.