I didn't grow up saying things like "Praise the Lord" or "Hallelujah". Not really sure why but probably because I never heard others around me saying those and similar phrases. They still feel a bit awkward on my tongue sometimes, especially in Bible studies or worship with people who grew up like I did. But, I do praise God constantly and worship him daily in a way that I was never taught as a child or teenager.
I have come to truly love the shortest of the Psalms because it expresses my deepest thoughts about my Father. "Praise God, everybody! Applaud God, all people! His love has taken over our lives, God's faithful ways are eternal. Hallelujah!" Psalm 117 MSG
Trying to visualize the man or woman who wrote these words has occupied a good bit of my attention as I have wandered through the Psalms of David all of this year. This one just intrigues me. What prompted the writer to record these words that no doubt had been in his/her heart for a long time? The term "hallelujah" means "praise the Lord", so this author was someone who worshiped God spontaneously and calls on "everybody/all nations" to join in.
If only all people in the world would do that! Its a fact, no one who truly praises God and knows Jesus Christ as Lord can live in fear or hate. We all experience times of aggravation and anger but praising God will always put us back into the frame of mind that allows his love to take over our lives. HALLELUJAH!
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