Today's psalm is a psalm of praise. God is greater than any god. He has the power to move mountains and calm the stormy sea. The psalmist talks about what God has done for the Israelites over time. We can personalize the psalm today for our own lives, praising God for what he has done for us. Let's open our bibles and read through Psalm 135
Psalm 135 begins and ends with the phrase praise the Lord. He is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end.
Verses 1-4 the word praise is used 5 times. We praise God for he is good, and it is pleasant to sing praise.
Praise God for he has chosen the Israelites to be his own. Continuing with reasons to praise God in verse 5 - praise God for his infinite power and that he created us.
Verses 5-8 God is greater than any other god. He does whatever he pleases. He created the heavens and earth. I am thankful he created out of goodness. He created us to love him and worship him. God created the winds, the rains, the storms.
Verses 9-12 The psalmist talks about the great things God has done for the Israelites. He freed the Israelite nation from slavery in Egypt. He killed the firstborn of every Egyptian home, and this is where the Passover Feast came from. God performed many great miracles, such as the parting of the Red Sea. Through the hand of God, the Israelites won battles so they could increase their nation. We can personalize this for us - what miracles has God done in our lives? God has chosen each one of us to come to him. Freely. No strings attached. Creating each one of us as a unique individual. The miracle of a new born baby - restoring broken relationships - healing us when we are physically or mentally sick. Giving us talents to do our jobs well, the list could go on and on.
Verses 13-14 Verse 13 "Your name, O Lord, endures forever". God is known through all the generations. The Bible is the most sold book ever. His word is relevant today as it was yesterday. We have this great history of what he has done for us. God will save his people and have compassion on them.
Verses 15-18 talks about idols. Idols may appear to have a life of their own but the are lifeless. A dummy.
They have eyes but cannot hear, ears but cannot see, mouths but cannot speak. Why would we want to worship something that cannot give us anything back in return? Those who worship idols will be like them. What are our idols today? I probably spend too much time on my computer. I am overweight - therefore I probably substitute food as a source of comfort.
Verses 19-22 the psalmist ends with repetition for the people of Israel to praise God. The priests and the nation is to praise God. Today this includes the Church.
Father God we praise you today for your great and awesome power. We thank you that you put the stars in the sky, the sun and moon, and you created the earth and everything in it. This psalm gives many reasons to praise you and they are all good and pleasing. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
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