Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness

Psalm 150:2

Just as a New Year’s fireworks display will finish with a flurry of colourful explosions, the Psalter closes on an emphatic crescendo of joy.

Hallelujah. Praise the Lord.

This is the end to which this whole songbook has been heading because it is the end for which all humankind has been created: the glad celebration and enjoyment of all who God is.

The psalm first lifts our eyes to where God is “in his sanctuary, in his mighty heavens“. It urges us to adopt a perspective on reality that transcends our earthly experience. But it quickly moves on to remind us of how this transcendent God has come near with his mighty acts of power. He has worked in the world to show the world that he stands above the world and cares for it.

The power and surpassing greatness of our God that he has made known to us provides the unshakeable foundation for our worship. He is utterly reliable, and at its heart, worship is a recognition of his trustworthiness as the almighty, life-giving God. It is foolish not to worship him. It is foolish to worship anything other than him. And it is foolish to see worship as anything other than trust in his mighty goodness. We can do nothing to contribute to God’s glory, but by his mercy, we can bask in it, rejoice in it and rest in it.

Above all else, his power and surpassing greatness is irrefutably seen in his Son, who has defeated sin, destroyed death, and granted us the certainty of life forever with him. His sanctuary is our safety; his glory is our song. As 1 Peter so wonderfully expresses:

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”

May we always fix our eyes on this eternal truth, set out our minds on his eternal glory, and tune our voice to sing his eternal praise.