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Every two months we do a check in with our Bible in Two Years reading campaign, in order to help you stay accountable and to apply what we’ve been reading.  The past two months we’ve been reading through the Psalms in the Old Testament.  Psalms was the songbook of ancient Israel.  There are many different types of psalms, from laments to hymns of praise, songs of ascent to imprecatory psalms (calling down God’s vengeance on someone), psalms that are more personal and others that are more meant for the community.

One of the most obvious facets of the Psalms is this call again and again to “praise the Lord,” to worship Him, to give Him glory and honor.  Consider the last Psalm, Psalm 150:

Psalm 150:1-6   Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens.  ² Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.  ³ Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre,  ⁴ praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute,  ⁵ praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.  6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.

Let’s pretend for a minute that you haven’t been in church your whole life, and that the words “praise the Lord” have not been spoken a million times.  What is going on here?  We’re supposed to praise God for his power and his greatness.  Okay… why?  Does he really need us to tell him how great he is?  He’s God!  Of course he’s great and powerful!  I would be too if I were God!  Why does God need us to praise Him, to worship Him, to tell him that he is worthy, and great, and awesome?  Is God like a vain woman (or man) needing the praise of everyone around her/him?  Is he that insecure?  That needy?  That self-centered? 

Or is there something else going on?