EVERYTHING Under The Earthly Heavens Should Praise God

⁷ Praise the Lord from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,
⁸ lightning and hail, snow and clouds,
stormy winds that do his bidding,
⁹ you mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,
¹⁰ wild animals and all cattle,
small creatures and flying birds,
¹¹ kings of the earth and all nations,
you princes and all rulers on earth,
¹² young men and women,
old men and children.

¹³ Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
¹⁴ And he has raised up for his people a horn,
the praise of all his faithful servants,
of Israel, the people close to his heart.

Praise the Lord.

Earthly Encounter

The Psalmist begins this part of the Psalm by entreating all creatures, weather, and even the Earth to praise God:

• Ocean Creatures
  • Every creature in water is commanded to praise God.  From the fish to whales, from shrimp to sharks, every creature should give praise to their Creator.
• The Ocean Itself
  • The Psalmist also commands the ocean to give praise.  God’s word tells us that the water of this world has a mind of its own, and without boundaries, would once again cover the Earth.
• Weather
  • Every manner of weather should praise the lord – lightning, hail, snow, clouds and winds.  The Psalmist covered water in earlier verses.
• Mountains and Hills
  • Even the mountains and hills should praise their Creator.  After all, if the rocks can cry out…
• All Trees
  • The Psalmist entreats the trees of the Earth to praise God, and by implication, all plants.
• All Animals
  • Every creature, cattle, and small animal should praise God as well.
• Every Creature That Flies
  • The birds of the air already cry out to God in the early morning hours, seeking food, shelter, and assistance from their Provider.
• Humans Placed By God In Authority
  • All people whom God has placed in authority over others should praise the Lord.  Their Creator has given them special privilege, and with great privilege comes great responsibility.  One of these responsibilities is to praise the One who raised them up, and to do His bidding.
• All People, Young And Old
  • Every person on Earth should praise their Creator.  We have voices to sing, hearts to rejoice, and life to give thanks.  Every person on Earth should praise the One who gave them life and provides for their every need.

Present Praise

Everyone and everything should present praise to the One who is worthy of all praise.  God deserves praise for all He has done.  It is man who sinned and brought the curse of sin upon this universe.  God created everything good, and it was good until the fall of man.

Excellent Exaltation

It is God and God alone who is to be exulted.  Men, in pride, want to exalt themselves before others, to establish their pecking orders and to feel important.  But God should receive that Exaltation instead, being the one who gave each man life, appointed him in his proper place, and provides for him everything he has, even his very breath.

Prominent Position

God’s position in Heaven should be sufficient for us to realize that He and He alone is worthy of praise.  Man seeks to go to the heavens, but that is only a physical distance from where God created and grounded us.  God sees us through the glassy sea and knows our every move.  God’s position is far and above any vantage point that man could even conceive of occupying.

Supreme Strength

God has raised up for His people a horn.  The horn represents strength.  That strength is the God-man Jesus Christ, who was born among men, and now sits at the right hand of God, interceding for us in prayer day and night.  All authority in Heaven and the universe has been given Him by the Father.  He is King of kings and Lord of lords.  God has raised Him up to His proper position.  He has regained the keys of Death and Hades which man had lost.  He is able to deliver us from all of our troubles.  He is worthy of praise.

People of Praise

Because of the great work that God has done, His people should be a people of praise.  Life is difficult.  Many encounter situations that overwhelm us and threaten to crush us emotionally, physically, and even spiritually.  But God is able to help us to overcome.  And in His continual outpouring of provision, power, and His presence, His people should be a people who offer continual praise to the One who so richly deserves it.

A Qualifying Question

Let’s ask a question: How can I praise God today?

A short prayer of preparation:

Father in Heaven, Thank You for all that You are, all that You have created, and all that You provide.  Help my heart to be in continual praise to You for all things, even my difficult challenges.  Remove from me the enemy of my soul as he tries to drag me down with lies and leverages my pain against me and You.  I pray, Father, that the ones who try to torment me would be sent to their permanent place of dwelling, the Lake of Fire.  Remove them from their position of power and strip them of their ability to cause harm.  Protect me and my family from their actions, and remove all strongholds from our minds that we would be able to praise You at all times for all things.  This I ask in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Want more?  Why not try A. B. Simpson or A. W. Tozer?