“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!” – Psalm 150
It isn’t easy to praise, at least not at the moment. Disease and disruption consume our thoughts. Every day is another news briefing bringing attention to greater suffering, scarcity, and fear. People continue to battle for political power, setting an example that is mirrored in people battling one another for toilet paper. The words that come to mind in all of this seem distant from praise.
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!”
Current events veil our eyes, blinding us to everything else. Where light breaks through, they cast a shadow obscuring our perception. Our eyes and ears are conditioned to see and hear fear, a mind-numbing and paralyzing emotion. Rejoicing seems a thing of the past, while we remain captive to negativity.
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!”
What if we are not required to follow the script? If we broke free from the common, predictable response and embraced a new story. We could write our own narrative and live within our own fantasy, or we could see ourselves cast in a much larger play than we imagined. Here, between distraction and desperation, we can embrace our role in the divine drama unfolding over the course of human history. We can find faith in themes of hope and deliverance, and receive eyes to see and ears to hear what the Spirit is saying.
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!”
In one of the great, previous scenes, we find the Apostle Paul and his friend Silas in prison for distributing faith. The vision of faith can upset those who seek control through threats and fear-mongering. Facing a certain demise at daybreak, they wait in their cell. If ever there was a time for fear, for discouragement, and for hopelessness, this was it, yet their voices were not joined in complaint or worry. No, they were singing, joyously lifting their voices in praise together.
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!”
The result of such praise in prison was a great shaking. the cell doors were opened and they were set free. The power of their praise also impacted the rest of the prison, including the guard, who experienced a radical, God-made transformation in his life. Not every physical, prison door is opened by praise, but we can be liberated from worry and fear through a perspective of praise.
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!”
It is easy to praise when everything is perfect. The real power of praise is revealed when, in spite of circumstances, we find reasons to rejoice in the Lord. Occasions for praise surround us. If we will look with Spirit-opened eyes, if we will hear with Spirit-opened ears, we will discover that what is praiseworthy radically outshines reasons for fear.
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!”
As people of faith, we do not deny reality. In fact, our response is quite the opposite. We name the truth of our circumstances, but we name the whole truth. We do not stop at the challenge. We expand our focus to see a bigger picture. We become lovers of the beautiful, the faithful, and the hopeful. We stand, trusting in God, staring at the obstacle before us, and boldly declare our praise in the face of adversity. Then, we wait for the shaking that sets us free.
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!”
