Praise the Lord’s Wonderful Works. Vanity of Idols.
135 [a]Praise [b]the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord;
Praise Him, O servants of the Lord,
2 You who stand in the house of the Lord,
In the courts of the house of our God!
3 [c]Praise [d]the Lord, for the Lord is good;
Sing praises to His name, for it is lovely.
4 For [e]the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel for His [f]own possession.5 For I know that the Lord is great
And that our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatever the Lord pleases, He does,
In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps.
7 [g]He causes the [h]vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth;
Who makes lightnings for the rain,
Who brings forth the wind from His treasuries.
There are two important aspects of God’s character emphasized here. First, the people are encouraged to praise the Lord for he is good. That might not jump right out at you, but it’s important. It tells us that God isn’t “out to get us”. He isn’t vindictive or petty, and it kind of reminds me of something I was reading yesterday about people serving on boards. I know, super exciting right? But stay with me here…
Those who serve on the board of a company, whether it be a church, a non-profit, or even a for-profit enterprise, are required to put the best interests of the company front and center. They are not to be self-centered or to take advantage of their position. And so it is with God, that he puts his own gain out of the picture, partially because he doesn’t need anything anyway. Instead, He is focused on what is best for his creation, for us each.
Yet that is only half the story. Who cares if God is focused on our best, what can He do about it? As we keep reading in vv. 5-6, “…the Lord is great… is above all gods. Whatever the Lord pleases, He does…” We could keep going, but I hope you get the idea. In everything on this earth (and beyond, naturally), God does what he wants. Whatever pleases Him is the goal… and what pleases God?
To do what is best for us, despite the fallen state of this world, despite our disobedience–or flat out rebellion–God is going to do what is best. He won’t override our free will, and He won’t force us to choose or accept Him. Yet God is going to do whatever He can to accomplish the best in our lives. The choice is up to us to accept it, or not, but know that He wants what is best, and He has the power to make it so. The ball is in your court!