Psalm 148 (NRSV)
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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
Embracing God means also being willing to embrace mystery and wonder. We believe that there is much about God that is outside of our understanding and experience. We need only to look to the stars to be reminded of how small and insignificant we are. We need only look as far as our relationships to see the impact we can have on others. All of these truths speak words of praise about the nature of God. God is both transcendent and imminent. God made the heavens and the earth. God also made you and loves you.
To be a part of God's creation is to be a part of the song of praise that is being sung by the entire universe—by the stars, sea monsters, birds, mountains and by you and your life. All of us together are the testimony of the wonder of God, who made all things in the beginning and who is now continuing to make all things new.
Prayer
Creator God, the heavens and the earth sing out songs of praises to you. May we who love you also sing your praise in our hearts and with our lives. Give us the strength and courage to point to you as the source of all beauty and goodness. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.