Psalm 113:1,2 – “A Walking Psalm”

As always, here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:

Praise the LORD.

  ¹Praise, [O] servants of the LORD. Praise the name of the LORD. 

 ²Let the name of the LORD be blessed from now and until ages.

It would be easy to read these verses and say, “Right. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, praise the Lord,” seeing them as “good” words but really just more Christian clichés. I used to think like that. I remember the first few times I read through the Bible, I would dread coming to the Psalms, just for that reason. It seemed like it was just “praise the Lord” over and over again for 150 chapters. Then I read a book about a guy named Henry Venn. He was an English minister back in like the 1600 or 1700’s.

The book was actually a compilation of letters he wrote to people throughout his life. What struck me most about him was that the man was literally a walking psalm! He seemed to breathe the psalms. As he wrote to people and talked about life, the psalms were woven into everything. The man seriously praised the Lord all day every day. He saw all of life as praises to the Lord. He totally transformed my attitude toward the Psalms. After reading that book, I began very deliberately memorizing psalms and looked forward to every chance I could get to open this wonderful book and be reminded what a wonderful God we serve.

The passage before us is a prime example. For myself, I have just studied through the previous two psalms, 111 and 112. The first, 111, was about what a great God He is and then 112 was about how blessed I am to know Him. I honestly cannot think of a more fitting conclusion to that entire study than Psalm 113:1,2. “Praise the Lord … Let the name of the Lord be blessed, both now and forever more!”

There is so much to praise Him for. No wonder David wrote at the end of his life on earth (I Chron 29:10-13),

Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever.
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;

For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.
Both riches and honor come from You,
And You reign over all.

In Your hand is power and might;
In Your hand it is to make great
And to give strength to all.

Now therefore, our God,
We thank You
And praise Your glorious name.

Like Henry Venn, David had spent his life walking with God in this real world, facing all the troubles and pain and failures of his own, and what did he become? A walking psalm.

That is exactly who I want to be.

What struck me most about these first two verses was the words, “Let the name of the LORD be blessed, both now and forever more.” “Both now and forever more.” As I contemplate my incessant problem with worry and fear, I read those lines and it occurs to me that I have no problem seeing the Lord has been worthy of praise my entire life. Looking back, even the intensely painful times I can now see were blessings from the Lord. I can say without hesitation, “Let His name be praised through all those moments. All day, every day He was doing great and awesome things.”

Then there is the “now.” Right now, at this minute, I do believe He is working all things together for good, that He is wisely and kindly ordering the universe to accomplish the greatest possible good. But what about the “and forevermore?” What about the future? What about tomorrow? I live under this dark cloud of worry and fear. Of what? Will the name of the Lord be worthy of praise tomorrow? The next day? The next? Will there ever be a second when He isn’t worthy of praise, when He isn’t totally in control and working all things together for good? Then why am I so afraid? What am I afraid of?

It occurred to me some time ago that worry is actually imagining a world without God. It’s leaving God out of my future. I could see that, but somehow I couldn’t get it to “stick” in my brain.

I think this helps me. “Both now and forever more.” I do believe in my heart that He will be worthy of praise every second of every day of the rest of my life. I just don’t do a very good job of appropriating that truth as I face all the problems and fears and issues.

I Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

I want to be a walking psalm. The Lord deserves a walking psalm. I can see though, that only really works if I will trust Him not only with my past and present but also with my future.

Such a change is utterly beyond me. Worrying over the future it seems is just a part of who I am. But then I know it’s not. I was created in the image of God to “show forth His praises.” Everything less than that are the perversions and twistings of sin in me. Still I know I cannot make such changes. But there is a Redeemer, Someone who began a good work in me. Jesus died specifically “to save His people from their sins.” Do your redeeming work, Jesus. Make me a walking psalm. You deserve it.