Divine Moments: A Daily Devotions Journey with Purpose

TUESDAY, 12 MARCH 2024

TEXT: Psalm 135:1-21

1: Praise the Lord. Praise the name of the Lord; praise him, you servants of the Lord,

2: you who minister in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.

3: Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.

4: For the Lord has chosen Jacob to be his own, Israel to be his treasured possession.

5: I know that the Lord is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods.

6: The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.

7: He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

8: He struck down the firstborn of Egypt, the firstborn of people and animals.

9: He sent his signs and wonders into your midst, Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants.

10: He struck down many nations and killed mighty kings—

11: Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kings of Canaan—

12: and he gave their land as an inheritance, an inheritance to his people Israel.

13: Your name, Lord, endures forever, your renown, Lord, through all generations.

14: For the Lord will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants.

15: The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by human hands.

16: They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see.

17: They have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths.

18: Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.

19: All you Israelites, praise the Lord; house of Aaron, praise the Lord;

20: house of Levi, praise the Lord; you who fear him, praise the Lord.

21: Praise be to the Lord from Zion, to him who dwells in Jerusalem. Praise the Lord.

(New International Version Holy Bible)

TOPIC: THE TEN COMMANDMENTS TO PRAISE GOD

The Psalmist commands the faithful to praise God and issues the commands ten times in Psalm 135. Almost everyone would agree that scriptural praise and worship involve some kind of outward acts of righteousness.

The word 'worship' in Hebrew means 'to bow down'. Therefore, praise and worship involves bowing lifting hands, praying, singing reciting, preaching, performing rites, etc. But all of these can be pointless, useless, abominable and empty rituals if they are done to simply show off.

An act of praise or worship is vain and futile if it does not come from the heart. This was implied in these words of Jesus to the Samaritan adulteress: "True worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him" (John 4:23).

QUESTION: Are you an active member of a singing group that praises God from a pure heart?

PRAYER: Dear Lord, help me to praise You sincerely from a pure heart, in Jesus name. Amen.