Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation. — Psalm 111:1
Have you ever simply sat back and thought about everything that God has done for you? I am talking about a truly all-encompassing view of what God has truly done in your life. That seems to be what the psalmist does here in Psalm 111 as you read through the verses. In verse 2 the psalmist shares about how great are the works of God. In verse 3, those works are called honorable and glorious. In verse 4 those works are said to be memorable, something that will never be forgotten. Then he gets more specific in the next verses.
He shares how God has given meat to eat and remembers all the promises that He has made. He has shown His power through his works and He has given a heritage to those who had nothing. He continues that all the things God has done are forever, His word and commandments are forever. He shares how God sent redemption and how God gives wisdom and understanding to those who love and follow Him.
Did you see anything the psalmist missed? He hit nearly every aspect of life in the list as he went through all the wonderful things about God. No wonder he started in verse 1 by saying to praise the Lord and that he would praise the Lord with his whole heart.
If we are honest, we can see the hand and works of God in every aspect of our lives too. We can see how God provides for us each and every day. We can see how He cares for us, loves us, gives to us, and has compassion towards us. He leads us in His word and commandments which are steadfast. He has given us a heritage to be thankful for, even if we had no heritage before.
So as you go through your day today, take a moment and think about all the amazing things God has done for you. When you do, take a moment and praise Him. But do it as the psalmist says with all your heart, because He is worthy!
