Songs of the Soul: A Lent DevotionalSample

The first and last words of Psalm 113:1-3 are “praise” and “praised”. “Praise” is mentioned four times in these verses. During the Lent season, in the lead-up to Easter, praise is also to be preeminent in our thoughts.

On the way to the Jerusalem Temple, the Israelites praised the Lord for guiding their ancestors through the wilderness for forty years and leading them to the Promised Land. On the way to Easter, we are to praise the Lord for guiding us to a new life and leading us to freedom from slavery to sin, and for procuring this brilliant reality for us by taking on Himself the punishment that belonged to us.

In these verses the Lord speaks deeply to us, revealing our ultimate identity and our utmost purpose. Our identity is that of a servant to the Creator of the Universe, the Engineer of the Galaxies, and the Architect of the Laws of Physics, we realize that our identity as “Servants of the Lord” is the greatest honor we could ever have.

Our utmost purpose in life is to “praise God.” Praising God is reasonable, rational, and experientially sound because it is only natural that God’s Perfection, Amazing Power, Comprehensive Sovereignty, Pure Goodness, Deep Love, and Profound Wisdom would lead us to experience awe and respond in praise and worship. The reasonable response of the human soul is to be overwhelmed by the summation of God’s Attributes.

Praise for God also protects, prepares, and properly positions us. A posture of praise towards God protects against pride. Looking up to God in worship provides a proper understanding of who we are in relation to Him. A position of praise towards the Lord also prepares us for a future prophesied in Scripture where all people will praise Him. Praising God is a good act of preparation for Eternal Life in perfect worshipful relationship with Him.

Praising God reminds us of the reality that we are always positioned in the presence of God. Our minds may be focused on Earthly events and immediate needs, our dreams and wants may be transfixed in the things of the world, and our hearts may even feel distant from God. Praise reminds us of the truth that God is always with us, in us through the Holy Spirit, and for us in His Goodness and Love.

Lincoln Venancio
Elder

Prayer:
Lord, like the Israelites over 2,500 years ago, may I always sing praises to You, serve You and Your people as a means of worship, and have an attitude of praise towards You in all I do. May I walk towards Easter as the Israelites walked towards the Jerusalem Temple, singing praises to You with my heart, mind, and mouth. In Jesus’s Praiseworthy Name I pray. Amen.