"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. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord."

Psalm 150:1-2, 6

There is a collective gasp as the universe reverberates with exquisite harmony and unending melody. The Lord gifted you that breath as he kissed you into life. Each second, he does it again, whispering, ‘Live! Fill your lungs, your blood vessels, your cells, your very bones with my life-giving oxygen. Inhale my goodness. Remember I am even closer to you than this breath pulsating through the marvelous, mortal body I crafted. As you exhale your praise, you are uniting with every creature across the planet and the centuries in adoration.’

Psalm 150 brings this biblical hymn book to a noisy, glorious finale. We have sung out our heartaches and hallelujahs, our anger and anguish, our pleading and petition, our questions and quandaries, our wonder and worship. The psalms reflect our evolving relationship with God throughout the years. They give full-bodied voice to our emotional responses as we live out our days in a wonderful, sin-scarred world. They express trust in our Creator, who saves and satisfies in abundance. Now, this has to be the last word, as our multifaceted experiences are all gathered up into one exuberant call: praise this matchless Lord of heaven and earth! Praise this God of mighty power and tender loving care! Grab any instrument and pour out your breath, all you have, and all you are into jubilant song. Praise the Lord!

Closing Prayer

I join my heart and voice with all of the redeemed and the angels, Lord God, to praise you today (edited from Encounter with God).