For many of us, Fridays are automatically a day of praise (TGIF). The week is coming to an end and a different rhythm welcomes us. Some find days of rest to come. Others may find it is a day to visit or go on trips. For me, it has become days to complete all the things left undone by the hurry of the rest of the week. Regardless, there is something special about the shift to the weekend. Now, I do understand if you work in retail, this isn’t such a big deal – I’ve been there. I also understand there are necessary positions that must be filled over the weekend – been there too. So it may be that your ‘Friday’ takes place some other time of the week. Whenever your ‘weekend’ falls, it seems to be a time of praise, naturally. We are grateful the week is wrapping up. We are grateful we made it one more week. We are grateful for something new or different. It welcomes us. It calls us. It invites us.
As I read today’s Psalm, I get the sense we miss the praising that takes place all week long. We don’t notice how the sun and the moon are praising God. We may miss how the stars and the heavens are proclaiming shouts of praise. We probably didn’t notice how the mountains and hills were exclaiming praise. Aren’t they just mountains and hills, the sun and the moon? Yet, simply by rising up as God has created, they are exclaiming praise. As the birds sing, they praise. As the trees sway, they praise. As the animals live out their purpose, they exclaim. And here we are – made in the image of God – and forget to praise him. We aren’t often mindful of all that praises God around us. And we certainly aren’t always joining in on the chorus – except maybe on Fridays.
Maybe it is time to pipe up in praise – and Friday seems to be a good day to start. Maybe we find our voice as we exclaim God’s goodness. Maybe we join in the mighty chorus around us – praising the Creator of it all. Praise the Lord!
Psalm 148
1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights!
2 Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his host!
3 Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars!
4 Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for he commanded and they were created.
6 He established them forever and ever;
he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.[a]
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
you sea monsters and all deeps,
8 fire and hail, snow and frost,
stormy wind fulfilling his command!
9 Mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars!
10 Wild animals and all cattle,
creeping things and flying birds!
11 Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth!
12 Young men and women alike,
old and young together!
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his glory is above earth and heaven.
14 He has raised up a horn for his people,
praise for all his faithful,
for the people of Israel who are close to him.
Praise the Lord!
SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY 