Psalm 146 - Praise Is Evidence Of The Life Of God In The Heart.

Psalm 146: Praise Is Evidence Of The Life Of God In The Heart.

Psalm 146:1, 2, 5, 6 (NIV) Praise the Lord.  Praise the Lord, O 
my soul. I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to 
my God as long as I live. Blessed is he whose help is the God of 
Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, the Maker of heaven and 
earth, the sea, and everything in them --  the Lord, who remains 
faithful forever.  

Psalm 146:1, 2, 5, 6 (TLB) Praise the Lord! Yes, really praise 
him! I will praise him as long as I live, yes, even with my dying 
breath. But happy is the man who has the God of Jacob as his helper, 
whose hope is in the Lord his God - the God who made both earth and 
heaven, the seas and everything in them. He is the God who keeps every 
promise,  

The last five psalms of the psalter all begin and end with 
"Praise the Lord," which translates the Hebrew hallelujah. [Believer's 
SB] 

This is the first of the five Hallelujah psalms with which the 
book of Psalms closes. Its theme is a eulogy on the benefits of 
having God for a helper. The psalm warns against putting trust in man, 
however much power he may be wielding. [SDA Commentary] 

These last five psalms overflow with praise. Each begins and 
ends with "Praise the LORD." They show us where, why, and how to 
praise God. What does praise do? (1) Praise takes our minds off our 
problems and shortcomings, and focuses them on God. (2) Praise leads us 
from individual meditation to corporate worship. (3) Praise causes us 
to consider and appreciate God's character. (4) Praise lifts our 
perspective from the earthly to the heavenly. [Life Application SB] 

Praise is an evidence of life, not just physical life, but the 
life of God in the heart. In heaven, it is all praise; in hell, there 
is no praise; here on earth, you must make a choice. Praise is an 
encouragement to hope. When your hope is in the Lord, you can praise Him no 
matter what the circumstances may be. Faith is the upward look, and 
hope is the forward look.  [Chapter by Chapter Bible Commentary by 
Warren Wiersbe re Psa.146] 

This song and the great deliverance which it commemorates, made 
an impression never to be effaced from the memory of the Hebrew 
people. From age to age it was echoed by the prophets and singers of 
Israel, testifying that Jehovah is the strength and deliverance of those 
who trust in Him. That song does not belong to the Jewish people 
alone. It points forward to the destruction of all the foes of 
righteousness and the final victory of the Israel of God. The prophet of 
Patmos beholds the white-robed multitude that have "gotten the 
victory," standing on the "sea of glass mingled with fire," having "the 
harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and 
the song of the Lamb." Revelation 15:2, 3.  
"Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy name give glory, 
for Thy mercy, and for Thy truth's sake." Psalm 115:1. Such was the 
spirit that pervaded Israel's song of deliverance, and it is the spirit 
that should dwell in the hearts of all who love and fear God, In 
freeing out souls from the bondage of sin, God has wrought for us a 
deliverance greater than that of the Hebrews at the Red Sea. Like the Hebrew 
host, we should praise the Lord with heart and soul and voice for His 
"wonderful works to the children of men." Those who dwell upon God's great 
mercies, and are not unmindful of His lesser gifts, will put on the 
girdle of gladness and make melody in their hearts to the Lord. The 
daily blessings that we receive from the hand of God, and above all 
else the death of Jesus to bring happiness and heaven within our 
reach, should be a theme for constant gratitude. What compassion, what 
matchless love, has God shown to us, lost sinners, in connecting us with 
Himself, to be to Him a peculiar treasure! What a sacrifice has been made 
by our Redeemer, that we may be called children of God! We should 
praise God for the blessed hope held out before us in the great plan of 
redemption, we should praise Him for the heavenly inheritance and for His 
rich promises; praise Him that Jesus lives to intercede for us. {PP 
289} 

"Forget Not All His Benefits."
It is a delightful and profitable occupation to mark the hand of 
God in the lives of ancient saints, and to observe his goodness in 
delivering them, his mercy in pardoning them, and his faithfulness in 
keeping his covenant with them. But would it not be even more 
interesting and profitable for us to remark the hand of God in our own 
lives? Ought we not to look upon our own history as being at least as 
full of God, as full of his goodness and of his truth, as much a 
proof of his faithfulness and veracity, as the lives of any of the 
saints who have gone before? We do our Lord an injustice when we 
suppose that he wrought all his mighty acts, and showed himself strong 
for those in the early time, but doth not perform wonders or lay 
bare his arm for the saints who are now upon the earth. Let us review 
our own lives. Surely in these we may discover some happy incidents, 
refreshing to ourselves and glorifying to our God. Have you had no 
deliverances? Have you passed through no rivers, supported by the divine 
presence? Have you walked through no fires unharmed? Have you had no 
manifestations? Have you had no choice favours? The God who gave Solomon the 
desire of his heart, hath he never listened to you and answered your 
requests? That God of lavish bounty of whom David sang, "Who satisfieth 
thy mouth with good things," hath he never satiated you with 
fatness? Have you never been made to lie down in green pastures? Have you 
never been led by the still waters? Surely the goodness of God has 
been the same to us as to the saints of old. Let us, then, weave his 
mercies into a song. Let us take the pure gold of thankfulness, and the 
jewels of praise and make them into another crown for the head of 
Jesus. Let our souls give forth music as sweet and as exhilarating as 
came from David's harp, while we praise the Lord whose mercy endureth 
for ever. [Morning and Evening by Charles H. Spurgeon re Psa. 
103:2] 

Let Me Count the Ways
Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote one of the English language's 
most powerful love poems. It begins: 
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight and it ends
With my lost saints--I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life!--and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
Browning's powerful poem wasn't the first to count love's ways. 
The first was David, who a thousand years before Christ set down a 
list in Psalm 103 of ways in which God loves you and me. And his list 
is far more specific, far more extensive, and far more wonderful 
than Browning's. 
How does God love us? He forgives our sins and heals our 
diseases (v. 3). He preserves our life and crowns us with love and 
compassion (v. 4). He satisfies our desires with good things (v. 5). He 
works justice for the oppressed (v. 6). He made known His ways to 
Moses and revealed Himself in history's mighty acts (v. 7). 
And the list goes on.
He is compassionate and slow to anger (v. 8). He does not treat 
us as our sins deserve (v. 10). 
And still there is more. Far too much to record in this brief 
meditation. 
But if life ever seems hard and the future so bleak that you can 
see nothing but darkness ahead, turn in your Bible to this psalm 
that celebrates God's love. As you count with David the ways that God 
loves you, the darkness will break. And, with David, you will be 
lifted up to sing God's praise. [The 365-Day Devotional Commentary re 
PSA.103]