Let everything that breathes praise the Lord. Hallelujah! (Psalms 150:6)
The last Psalm in the Bible sums up the entire end of the compilation of songs. Everything that has been discussed from meditating on God’s word (Ps. 1), God’s faithfulness as a shepherd (Ps. 23), true and right repentance (Ps. 53), and even cries for God to bring judgement on His enemies (Ps. 69:24) are not simply for the improvement of our lives. The Psalms are not just meant to encourage, enlighten, or admonish God’s people. They are, like all things God does, meant to drive us into greater praise to our God which results in a great increase in joy.
Psalm 150 says that we are to praise God in his sanctuary and his mighty expanse. What that means is that we need to praise God everywhere. The Psalms encourage believers to praise God in each and every circumstance not because things always go well, but because God is good. We’re called to praise God for his powerful acts and his abundant greatness. In other words, praise God because of his excellence. He acts powerfully on behalf of His people even when they fall short. God’s greatness is displayed in that He does good to people who can never adequately pay Him back for all He has done. So reflect on God’s goodness. Grab instruments, prepare your voice, and gather with God’s people and sing of His greatness for He is mighty and worthy.