I have a dream

Let them all praise the name of the LORD! His name is greater than all others;
his glory is above earth and heaven. He made his nation strong,
so that all his people praise him­ the people of Israel, so dear to him.
Praise the LORD!

Read Psalm 148

This psalm conjures up a wonderful vision. It’s a vision of the Australian nation, all its people from greatest to least, praising God, enthusiastically and joyfully. They are joined by all things in creation, because the rift between human beings and the rest of creation has been healed. All are involved: politicians and judges, white-collar workers and blue-collar workers, men and women, the old, those in the prime of their life and children-people of all backgrounds and classes. All are singing the praises of God with all their might, acknowledging him for all he is and all he does, telling everyone how great he is.

The sceptic in all of us says, ‘Dream on. There is no more chance of that happening than the sun rising in the west.’ And it’s easy to agree. But we are called to begin the process-one person at a time reaching out to someone else, telling them why God should be praised, swelling the numbers who acknowledge God as God, swelling the volume of the choir singing his praises. We are called to do this until that glorious day when ‘all beings in heaven, on earth, and in the world below will fall on their knees, and all will openly proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord’ (Philippians 2:10,11).

May the nation praise you,0 God. May the nation praise you. Amen.

by Robert Turnbull, in ‘Living Water for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2001)

Visit the Daily Devotion archives page.