Though not all of the psalms in the Bible are praise psalms, many of them are, and today’s psalm is one of them. When we have a God as great, wonderful, and powerful as our God is, one cannot help but bring Him praise. When a couple is in love, they frequently tell anyone and everyone how wonderful and special their loved one is. The various psalmists are doing the same here and in the other praise psalms, and as believers, we should join in.
If we believe that God is great, if we love Him above all else, we cannot help but tell others about Him (vs. 2-3). It is a good witness to others when we publicly show our appreciation and gratitude to God. Our praise to Him should often also include, or lead to a testimony to others of His plan of redemption, as verse two urges us to proclaim the good news of His salvation. The Scripture does tell us that there is great joy and praise in heaven every time someone gets saved (Luke 15:7). What an honor it is for us to be a part of bringing that joy in heaven as we witness to others, and tell them of God’s salvation.
Our psalmist continues on by telling us how the other false gods that the heathen worship are just inanimate idols (vs. 4-5). One of Satan’s goals has always been to make himself God, and to obtain our worship, instead of worshiping Yahweh. He has sought to do this through demon spirits, idol worship, and through false gods and false, pagan religions. These idols, representing the false pagan gods and goddesses, are nothing. There isn’t a “god hierarchy”, where Yahweh may be at the top, and the other gods that people worship are at various steps below Him, like some kind of divine pyramid. They are false, fake gods, and behind them are demonic spirits. The majority of the world is worshiping what is nothing, instead of worshiping the one true God, Yahweh, who created all things (vs. 5).
In verse 8 we are instructed to bring an offering to the Lord when we come into His courts and into His presence. This would include, but not be limited to, our monetary tithes and offerings. In addition to giving a portion of our money and income, the Lord desires that we give Him ourselves, our talents and abilities. We can give of our time to do the work of the Lord. We can use the various abilities and talents He has blessed us with to help in our local churches and other Christian organizations, to further bring His message and ministry to the world. The Lord is also blessed and happy when we bring Him an offering of praise with our lips and with our voices (Psalm 100:4).
As our psalm continues, we are reminded again to tell the nations, people everywhere, that the Lord reigns (vs. 10). When Jesus returns and sets up His millennial reign, the world will be firmly established. There will be no more continuing international chaos. People of every nation, every nationality and ethnic background will be at peace with each other, and the love of the Lord will abound among everyone. The world will be settled and efficiently managed. There will be no more economic disasters or problems, nor the fears that come with that. Jesus will also rule the world with impeccable justice. No more will anyone need to fear that “justice” will go to the one who has the money or influence, or that the wrongdoer will get away with what they have done.
As our psalm for today closes, the writer reminds us that the Lord Jesus will be returning (vs. 13). Jesus came to earth the first time as our humble Savior, dying upon the Cross for our sins. When He returns the second time, it will be as the Conquering King and Judge. Everyone on earth, and who has ever lived, will stand before Jesus, as our Judge. The truth will be laid out before Him, and He will judge righteously. His judgment will be true and fair. Many people do not want to think about this coming day, or even want to believe that it will happen. However, as this final verse in our psalm says twice, He is coming! Are you ready?
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