The Love Ballad of Life

By Danny Saavedra

“Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.”—Psalm 150 (NIV)

I’ve always considered myself an eclectic music lover, but if I had to nail down the one genre I’ve loved the most since I was a kid (aside from hymns), I’d say R&B, particularly 90s R&B. There was just something about the beautiful voices, sweet melodies, and the lyrics that tugged at my sensitive heart. You could say I’m a sucker for love songs.

Today, we’ll examine my favorite praise psalm widely believed to have been written by the first multi-platinum king of R&B: King David. Psalm 150 is a six-verse masterpiece that invites us to, “Praise the Lord.” So, let’s break it down:

PRAISE
This is the all-too-familiar, yet often misused Hebrew word for Hallelujah. This word appears 165 times in the Old Testament and literally means “to flash forth light; to illuminate; to celebrate, commend, give special attention to.” So, to “praise the Lord” is literally to shine a spotlight on Him, to place Him in the honor chair to highlight and celebrate Him.

WHY
“Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.”

We shine a spotlight on the works of God, on all He’s done. When you begin to reflect on His works, you can’t help but praise Him with deep love and affection. But that’s not all, because we also celebrate Him for WHO HE IS. We celebrate His “surpassing greatness,” His attributes, qualities, and character traits, because they’re perfect, wonderful, and worthy of honor.

There are many things people do, many things in nature and the universe, that are worthy of being highlighted and celebrated. But let’s remember that everything worthy of being admired or awed was made by His “acts of power.” Anything good or praiseworthy in us or done by us came from “His surpassing greatness.”

WHO
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”

Whether you want to or not, whether you love or reject God, your very existence, every breath, blink, word, and beat of your heart, every step you take, every move you make, all creatures and plants, every star in the sky, every grain of sand, every particle that makes life possible . . . highlights and celebrates the character and work of God!

WHERE
“Praise God in his sanctuary . . . in his mighty heavens.”

In His sanctuary: The sanctuary of God, the holy ground upon which His presence resided, was the most fitting place for His praise. It was a special place of worship set apart for His honor. But that place was replaced, because today we are His sanctuary, the temple of the Holy Spirit. When we’re alone, we’re His sanctuary. When we gather as believers, we’re His sanctuary. And ultimately, Jesus Himself is our sanctuary!

In His mighty heavens: Again, in the external, natural world. As you gaze upon the stars, walk along the beach, see the aurora borealis, hear the rolling thunder, and feel the wind and rain beating down, as you hold out your hand and let a butterfly or snowflake land on it, as you pick a fruit from its tree and taste its sweetness . . . remember who made it all and who gave you five senses with which to take it all in.

HOW
“Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet . . . the harp and lyre . . . with timbrel and dancing . . . with the strings and pipe . . . with the clash of cymbals . . . with resounding cymbals.”

With whatever you have, celebrate, honor, and shout it loudly and proudly, that God is worthy of all honor and glory! Every movement, every word, every hour spent at work, every gift, talent, treasure, or trial, and in every conversation, praise Him with it and in it.

Pause: What does it truly mean to praise the Lord?

Practice: Make a list today of all the things you see, experience, and interact with that display God’s “acts of power” and “surpassing greatness.”

Pray: Father, I praise You today for all that You are and all that You’ve done, are doing, and will do. I praise You with every breath because my very breath is a testament to Your love, grace, power, and goodness. It’s Your very breath of life in me and in the universe that makes everything possible. I praise You for that. I praise You, Lord, for every reason, with every expression, and with every second of my life. I give You all the glory, honor, and praise that is due YOUR name. And I thank You and praise You in the name of Your glorious Son, Jesus. Amen.