Sun, 29 July 2018
A city slicker bought a horse from a weathered cowboy. The cowboy was God-fearing and had trained the horse using biblical terms. Instead of “giddy-up,” the command to go was “Praise the Lord.” “Amen” was the signal to stop. He coached the new owner on the importance of using these phrases and these alone.
Now fully prepped and astride his new steed, the city slicker said to the horse, “Praise the Lord!” Off they trotted. Soon enough, a rabbit darted in front of the horse and startled him. The horse began to gallop at full speed. The rider saw that they were quickly approaching a cliff with a sheer drop of a couple hundred feet.
He forgot the coaching he’d received. He shouted “Whoa!” “Stop!” He pulled back on the reins. But nothing slowed the horse. Finally, he remembered the necessary word. “Amen!” he shouted. At that the horse came to a screeching stop at the brink of the canyon. The rider sighed with relief, lifted his hands heavenward, and said with sincerity, “Praise the Lord.”
That may be the only situation where a heart-felt “Praise the Lord” would be inappropriate! God’s word makes it abundantly clear that we are to praise the Lord at all times and in all places.
This Sunday we wrap up our summer series through the Psalms. We have ascended to the very peak of the book as we come to Psalm 150. The unrelenting cry of this Psalm is that the Lord is to be praised. In it we will learn the “who,” the “where,” the “why,” and the “how” of biblical praise.
Join us as we praise the Lord!
Songs of the Summer “Praise the Lord!” Psalm 150
Praise the Lord! . . . Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! (150:1a, 6)
Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens!(150:1b)
Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! (150:2)
Praise him with trumpet sound; . . . with lute and harp! . . . with tambourine and dance; . . . with strings and pipe! . . . with sounding cymbals; . . . with loud clashing cymbals! (150:3-5)
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