Praise the Lord!

(Psalm 111:1)

Mike Johnson

Psalm 111:1 says, “Praise the Lord! I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.”

This verse starts by exclaiming, “Praise the Lord!” This expression is, by some, regarded as the title of this Psalm. With certainty, it is the keynote phrase. Please note some crucial concepts in this verse regarding praising God.

First, the Psalmist said, “he“ would praise the Lord.” By saying “he“ would praise the Lord, he is taking the lead and is not only telling others to do so. By praising God himself, he is setting a good example, which meant his teaching would have even more impact. It is appropriate for us to worship God. He is our Creator and our sustainer. Acts 17:28 says, “for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.'”

Next, he said he would praise God with his whole heart. Worshiping and praising God should never be done in a half-hearted, insincere way. We must worship, praise, and serve God with our whole hearts. Psalm 86:12 says, “I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And I will glorify Your name forevermore.” Deuteronomy 10:12 points out, “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,” On one occasion, a lawyer asked Jesus a question (testing Him). He wanted to know which commandment was the greatest. Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'” (Note also John 4:24, Mt. 15:8-9.)

Barnes, in his commentary, has a good explanation of what it means to praise God wholeheartedly. Please note the following.

With undivided affections; holding back nothing. I will allow nothing to be in my heart that would interfere with the fullness of praise; no coldness or dividedness of affection; no love for other things that would deaden my love for God; no suspicion respecting him that would chill my ardor; no unbelief that would drag me down to earth, while the language of my lips ascended to God. (from Barnes’ Notes, Electronic Database Biblesoft, Inc.)

We need to worship, serve, and praise the Lord, but we must be sincere–a half-hearted effort is insufficient.

In the later part of the verse, the Psalmist points out where this takes place by saying, “In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.” It is so crucial for us to assemble with “righteous” people so we can praise and worship God. In another place (Ps. 122:1), the Psalmist said, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.'” Assembling is a command, and while assembling, we praise God and receive encouragement from others (Heb. 10:25). From our text, we also learn that assembling is a quality of the upright or the righteous. Sadly, many do not share the same enthusiasm as the Psalmist for assembling, not understanding the importance of it.

In conclusion, we need to praise God personally and not just tell others to praise Him. Further, we must worship God with our whole hearts, and we are to praise Him in the assembly of the upright.