Great Plains Daily Devotional for 12/27/2018

Psalm 148 

Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
    praise him in the heights!
Praise him, all his angels;
    praise him, all his host!

Praise him, sun and moon;
    praise him, all you shining stars!
Praise him, you highest heavens,
    and you waters above the heavens!

Let them praise the name of the Lord,
    for he commanded and they were created.
He established them forever and ever;
    he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.

Praise the Lord from the earth,
    you sea monsters and all deeps,
fire and hail, snow and frost,
    stormy wind fulfilling his command!

Mountains and all hills,
    fruit trees and all cedars!
Wild animals and all cattle,
    creeping things and flying birds!

Kings of the earth and all peoples,
    princes and all rulers of the earth!
Young men and women alike,
    old and young together!

Let them praise the name of the Lord,
    for his name alone is exalted;
    his glory is above earth and heaven.
He 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!

As I read and reflected on Psalms 148, the Lord placed on my heart the phrase “everything and all things.”

Everything and all things have been created by God. This of course includes that which was created before and those things that are still to be created. Nothing in heaven nor in earth has as its origin something other than God.

As God has given life to all things, he has done so out of the greatest thing of all, his love. His love alone and his willingness to show his love through creation is without comparison.

Thus, as everything and all things that have been created by God, we are called on to give Him praise. It is important to keep in mind that we in and of ourselves have done nothing to deserve what he has done for us.

I am always reminded of the fact that what God has done is to create all things with the intention of giving him praise.

It could be the smallest fish in the ocean or the largest creature on land, their praise will go to God. Even the angels themselves acknowledge their need to give praise to God.

If we were to look upward the very moment that sun raises in the sky it gives praise to God. Its radiant heat it has been said is but a confirmation of the love of God himself.

And we as humans having been made in the image of God are required as well to give him praise. As our very existence is because of his breath of life we are called to praise him because of all he has done and because of who he is.
 

Prayer for Reflection

Micah 5:2-5a
Luke 1:46b-55
Hebrews 10:5-10
Luke 1:39-45