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Praise the Lord! I love this little phrase. These three words in Hebrew together create the word we know as "Hallelujah." We will see these words many times as we wrap up the book of Psalms.
Psalms 146-150 are a group of congregational praise songs placed together at the end of the book to make sure we end on the right note. Each Psalm in this last section begins and ends with the powerful exhortation, "Praise the Lord," making it very clear what our focus should be as we finish this special book of Scripture. These are songs of praise and worship to the Lord of Heaven and Earth, intended for the lips of all of His creation.
As a worship leader, I am drawn to these Psalms. These are the kinds of songs we sing at our Sunday morning services. These are corporate songs of praise intended to be sung by a congregation. They stir our hearts, reminding us of who God is and what He has done. They provoke us to raise our hands, raise our voices, and worship the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
These Psalms are also a great reminder that the Bible was the church's original hymnal. Before "How Great Thou Art" (1885) or even "Be Thou My Vision" (8th century AD), there were the Psalms. As I read these verses, it is humbling to imagine the host of God's people that have gone before me, worshipping the Lord with these very same words.
As you read these great songs of praise this week, do not lose sight of their intent. Do not read them as someone else's words -- accept them as your own. They are not words to simply be read; they are songs to be sung. They are songs that have been sung for millennia -- generation after generation.
There are people throughout our community reading these Psalms together today, joining in praise. Let us worship the Lord with His people.
Let us sing with our brothers and sisters across the world.
Let us join heaven and creation and sing praise to the Lord.
Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord!
~ Jamison Elder
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July 15th Readings
PSALM 136
PSALM 146
PSALM 147
PSALM 148
PSALM 149
PSALM 150
July 16th Readings
ISAIAH 18:1-23:18
July 17th Readings
ISAIAH 24:1-27:13
ISAIAH 29:1-24
July 18th Readings
ISAIAH 30:1-33:24
July 19th Readings
ISAIAH 34:1-35:10
MICAH 2:1-5:15
July 20th Readings
MICAH 6:1-7:20
2 CHRONICLES 32:1-8
2 KINGS 18:13-18
ISAIAH 36:1-3
2 KINGS 18:19-37
ISAIAH 36:4-22
July 21st Readings
2 KINGS 19:1-19
ISAIAH 37:1-20
2 CHRONICLES 32:9-19
2 KINGS 19:20-37
ISAIAH 37:21-38
2 CHRONICLES 32:20-23
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