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Praise the Lord! And he has raised up for his people a horn, the praise of all his faithful servants, of Israel, the people close to his heart. Praise the Lord! (Psalm 148:1,14).

These last few Wilderness Wanderings have been landing in the final crescendo of the book of Psalms (I do know a few musical terms, look it up if you don\u2019t know what crescendo means). It\u2019s a great place to spend the end of the summer, especially as we move into a new school year with all of its uncertainty. \u201cPraise the Lord!\u201d the Psalms conclude, keep your face lifted up. Pay attention to God in all his splendour and power.

Last week, Pastor Anthony offered a devotional on this Psalm in which he noted how all creation sings the praise of God. We, the children of God, are the last. He asked the question, \u201cWhy are we the last of all to join the chorus?\u201d He wisely answered that we \u201cserve as witnesses: taking our place as the thundering clashes of final affirmation to say \u2018yes, amen, it\u2019s all true!\u2019\u201d

Today, I\u2019d like to ask a different question, \u201cWhy are we so slow to do it? Why does it take so much effort for us to praise God?\u201d You know what I mean don\u2019t you? Haven\u2019t we all attended worship services in which it seemed few wanted to be there? In fact, how many of us haven\u2019t sat through a service spending more time watching the clock than participating?

Five entire psalms calling us to \u2018Praise the Lord.\u2019 Did you know that? Five! Why is it so difficult to \u201cPraise the Lord?\u201d Why does it not come naturally to us?

The answer is that all of creation is now subject to bondage and decay (Romans 8:20-21). Along with the rest of God\u2019s created order we are subject to the power of sin. Because of sin, the basic answer is, \u2018I don\u2019t want to! I want to do my own thing. I don\u2019t want to worship God.\u2019 We\u2019ve all been in a room of people, haven\u2019t we, when someone new walks in and immediately draws everyone\u2019s attention. In some small way, we\u2019d all like to be that person, that centre of attention. Praising God gives him attention. It puts him at the centre. Its difficult to do.

So, what do we do? Is there a way forward? The psalm\u2019s ending gives us a clue: \u201cAnd he has raised up for his people a horn\u201d (14). This line is quoted by that Zachariah who was mute for over nine months because he didn\u2019t believe the angel Gabriel. At his son\u2019s circumcision party, his mouth is opened and he sings, \u201cPraise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us\u201d (Luke 1:68-69). In the Bible \u2018horn\u2019 is an image for strength.

Now listen to this, from Luke 11, Jesus said, \u201cBut if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. \u201cWhen a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder\u201d (20-22). Jesus\u2019 implication was clear. \u201cI am the stronger one,\u201d he says, \u201cI have come to bind Satan. That\u2019s what you are seeing.\u201d

Paul builds on this when he writes, \u201cAt one time you were dead in your sins. Your desires controlled by sin\u2026 But God gave you new life together with Christ. He forgave us all our sins\u2026He has taken it away and nailed it to the cross. He took away the weapons of the powers and authorities. He made a public show of them. He won the battle over them by dying on the cross\u201d (Col. 2:13-15).

There we have it. The way out of sin is not within us. It is not to try harder. Rather, it is too look to Jesus. We move towards praising God by believing that Jesus has bound the powers that keep our eyes focussed on this earth and our misery. Because Jesus has released us, we can look up again.

Romans 8 also tells us that the creation waits in hope for liberation. The one through whom the creation was formed has gone through death to liberate all things. Christ frees us from the bondage of all hostile powers. Jesus reconciles us and all creation to our Creator God.

Followers of Jesus sing Psalm 148 in anticipation of all creation being free to sing the praise of God again. So, let\u2019s sing this psalm. Let\u2019s continue to sing the last songs of the Psalter in anticipation of Christ\u2019s final and full victory.

COIVD-19, masks, and social distancing will not have the final word. Let\u2019s sing Psalm 148 in anticipation of the day when these things will be no more.