But... What Do I Know?

Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150 ESV).

If you have been following Morning Devotionals for very long I’m sure you have heard me mention my Italian heritage. Both my maternal and paternal grandparents were born and raised in Sicily before immigrating to the United States. My grandfathers both died before I was born, though I knew my grandmothers very well. We were a close family in those days and it was not unusual for me to meet other Italians in our community. One of the typical characteristics about those from Italian descent is the penchant for talking with our hands. One of my favorite memes shows two of the characters from The Sopranos. Pauli Gualtieri is talking to Tony Soprano and after giving some unsolicited advice, he says with his hands up, “But, what do I know?” That was always a good way to to avoid any of the blame for whatever might happen after his advice was acted upon.

 

Well, one of things we never need worry about after reading the Scripture. God isn’t going to hold his hands up and say, “But, what do I know?” He knows. And, He will always give us the truth. So as we come to the end of our series in the psalms, it seems fitting to end with the last in the compilation. This song is the last in a closing group of five (Psalms 146-150) that all begin and end with “Praise the Lord.” Urging “everything that has breath” to praise God for his “acts of power” and “surpassing greatness,” this psalm celebrates the faithful Lord of all creation. So we join in with dancing and the music of all kinds of instruments to honor the almighty King of all kings.

 

The apostle Paul echoes this invitation, saying, “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:16-17). As we end our season in the psalms, let us give thanks for the love of God in Christ Jesus. The Lord stands with us in all the seasons of our lives. In our joy, sadness, praise, lament, thanksgiving, and much more, God is always watching over us, holding our destiny safe in his hands. The steadfast love of the Lord “endures forever” (Psalm 118; 136). So “let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord”!