Praise to the Lord, the Almighty

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD! Psalm 150:6

My friend told me about a recent radio show. People were calling in with their resolutions. My friend told me her favorite one, and I knew I needed to adopt it immediately as my resolution.

Less whining. More worship.

The interesting thing is that more worship certainly leads to less whining. If you’re worshiping, praising God, you can’t be simultaneously whining or complaining. So I have purposed to do more praising, more worshiping, and therefore less whining.

As I heard this hymn on the radio yesterday, I knew that it would be a perfect example for writing about this “resolution.” This version contains more verses than in a typical church hymnal – more verses show us more reasons (as if we need more!) to praise our God.

He is your health and your salvation.

The LORD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation. Psalm 118:14

He shelters you under His wings.

Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge until destruction passes by. Psalm 57:1

Your desires will be granted in what He ordains.

The LORD sustains all who fall and raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in due time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. The LORD is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds. The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and will save them. Psalm 145:14-19

He has made you: You are fearfully and wonderfully made.

I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well.
Psalm 139:14

His goodness and mercy attend you every day of your life.

Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Psalm 23:6

He sheds light on the darkness of sin.

“I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.” John 12:46

This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. I John 1:5

That’s certainly a good list – many, many reasons to praise and worship.

In addition to all of that, there is one phrase in this hymn that stood out to me more than it ever has when I heard it yesterday, and I have heard and sung this song countless times!

Ponder anew what the Almighty can do, if with His love He befriend thee.

Ponder anew. Think about it again. If God did what He did (sending His son as the ransom for our lives) because He loved us, what else can and will He do for us? More than we could ever ask or think.

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Ephesians 3:20-21

Amen.

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
Words by Joachim Neander
Translated from German to English by Catherine Winkworth

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near;
Praise Him in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord, who over all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how thy desires e’er have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord, who hath fearfully, wondrously, made thee;
Health hath vouchsafed and, when heedlessly falling, hath stayed thee.
What need or grief ever hath failed of relief?
Wings of His mercy did shade thee.

Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
If with His love He befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord, who, when tempests their warfare are waging,
Who, when the elements madly around thee are raging,
Biddeth them cease, turneth their fury to peace,
Whirlwinds and waters assuaging.

Praise to the Lord, who, when darkness of sin is abounding,
Who, when the godless do triumph, all virtue confounding,
Sheddeth His light, chaseth the horrors of night,
Saints with His mercy surrounding.

Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him.
Let the Amen sound from His people again,
Gladly for aye we adore Him.