589_It is pleasant to praise the Lord (Psalm 135)

Psalm 135 Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord,
give praise, O servants of the Lord,
2 who stand in the house of the Lord,
in the courts of the house of our God!
3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
sing to his name, for it is pleasant!
4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself,
Israel as his own possession.

5 For I know that the Lord is great,
and that our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatever the Lord pleases, he does,
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all deeps.
7 He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth,
who makes lightnings for the rain
and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.

8 He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
both of man and of beast;
9 who in your midst, O Egypt,
sent signs and wonders
against Pharaoh and all his servants;
10 who struck down many nations
and killed mighty kings,
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
and Og, king of Bashan,
and all the kingdoms of Canaan,
12 and gave their land as a heritage,
a heritage to his people Israel.

13 Your name, O Lord, endures forever,
your renown, O Lord, throughout all ages.
14 For the Lord will vindicate his people
and have compassion on his servants.

15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
16 They have mouths, but do not speak;
they have eyes, but do not see;
17 they have ears, but do not hear,
nor is there any breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them become like them;
so do all who trust in them.

19 O house of Israel, bless the Lord!
O house of Aaron, bless the Lord!
20 O house of Levi, bless the Lord!
You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord!
21 Blessed be the Lord from Zion,
he who dwells in Jerusalem!
Praise the Lord!

There was a well-known composer who, after finishing a magnificent symphony, was asked what inspired the soaring final movement. His answer surprised the audience. “I wrote it,” he said, “during one of the darkest seasons of my life. I knew if I didn’t lift my eyes to something higher than my pain, I would be swallowed by it. So I forced myself to sit at the piano every evening and write one line of praise—just one. Eventually, those lines became a song, and the song became joy.” He paused before concluding, “Sometimes praise isn’t the result of joy. Sometimes praise is the pathway to joy.”

That is the heartbeat of Psalm 135. The psalm opens with a command, almost like the conductor raising his baton: “Praise the Lord!” And before we reach the end, the psalmist repeats it again as if to make sure the melody never fades. This psalm isn’t a suggestion, nor is it a gentle encouragement. It is a call—a call to worship, to lift our eyes from the shadows of this world and place them on the unchanging goodness of God.

The psalmist first addresses the servants of the Lord—those who stood in the temple courts, even during the quiet and lonely hours of the night. He then widens the circle to include everyone who could come into the courts of the Lord. In other words, this is a psalm for all of God’s people. No matter where we stand—whether in the symbolic night of our own struggles or in the daylight of blessing—we are invited, even commanded, to praise the Lord.

And then the psalmist begins to give reasons—solid, unshakeable reasons—why praise is not only right but pleasant.

The first reason is simple yet profound: “For the Lord is good.” God is good not because life is good, not because our circumstances look promising, and certainly not because we feel good all the time. His goodness is rooted in His nature—unchanging, eternal, and independent of anything that happens in the world. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. This steadfast goodness means that even when the world feels out of control, one thing remains anchored: God remains good. That truth alone is a deep well of comfort. When we praise Him for His goodness, we are not pretending that suffering doesn’t exist. We are remembering that suffering is not the final word—God’s goodness is.

Then the psalmist adds something beautiful: “Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.” Not only is God worthy of praise; praising Him is good for us. It is pleasant. It brings joy. Our minds, when left to dwell on the imperfections of our world or our own failures, can easily fall into heaviness and discouragement. We see sin, flaws, brokenness—everywhere we turn. But when our focus shifts to the holiness, purity, and perfection of God, something happens internally. Praise lifts us. Praise heals us. Praise reorients us. It sweeps our eyes from the dust and directs them toward the beauty of the One who has no blemish, no flaw, no deficiency.

The psalmist then highlights the next reason for praise: God’s electing love. “For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel as His own possession.” This was never because Israel was strong, numerous, or impressive. In Deuteronomy 7, God makes that abundantly clear. His choice was not based on human merit but on His great, steadfast love. He set His affection on them simply because He loved them and was faithful to His promise.

This truth is profoundly humbling. Praise begins to flow naturally when we realize that God loves us not because we earned it or deserved it, but simply because He chose to love. His electing grace is a fountain that never dries up. When you consider that the God who created galaxies has set His love on you—and calls you His treasured possession—how can your heart not rise in thanksgiving?

From verses 5 to 12, the psalmist recounts God’s mighty acts both in creation and in Israel’s history. He looks at the world around him—the sky, the clouds, the winds, the lightning—and sees God’s sovereign hand orchestrating everything. God does whatever He pleases in heaven and on earth. Every drop of rain, every gust of wind, every flash of lightning answers to Him.

Then he moves from creation to redemption history. He remembers how God rescued Israel from Pharaoh, how He acted on their behalf against powerful kings like Sihon and Og, and how He faithfully gave them the land He had promised. Every step of their journey was marked by God’s active involvement—His protection, His guidance, His power.

And so, with that full view of God’s nature and His deeds, the psalmist declares, “Your name, O Lord, endures forever, your renown throughout all ages.” God’s reputation never fades. His character never shifts. His compassion for His people never diminishes. He will vindicate His people. He will have compassion on His servants. What a promise to hold onto, especially in seasons when we are tempted to wonder if God sees, if He cares, or if He will act.

Then comes a sudden contrast—sharp, almost jarring. The psalmist calls attention to the idols of the nations. They have eyes but cannot see, ears but cannot hear, mouths but cannot speak. They resemble human features yet cannot imitate even the simplest functions of life. They are powerless and lifeless—meaningless objects shaped by human hands.

And then comes a sobering warning: “Those who make them become like them.” Idolatry always dehumanizes. It always diminishes us. When people bow down to lifeless things, they begin to lose the very faculties God gave them—reason, discernment, wisdom. Their hearts darken, their minds dull, their spiritual senses grow numb. Anything we place above God—success, money, reputation, relationships, entertainment—has the power to make us like itself: empty, fragile, and ultimately lifeless.

The psalmist ends where he began—with praise. A call is issued to all: to Israel, to the house of Aaron, to the Levites, to all who fear the Lord. No one is left out. All are invited into the joy of praising the One who dwells in Zion. The final words are as clear and bright as a trumpet blast: “Praise the Lord!”

The psalm begins with praise and ends with praise because praise is the atmosphere in which the believer is meant to live. Worship brings glory to God, but it also brings delight to our souls. We were created to praise Him. Something inside us comes alive when we do. Praise gives meaning to our days, strength to our weary hearts, and clarity to our wandering minds.

When we meditate on God’s goodness, we rise above what our human minds can see or understand. We are not denying reality—we are anchoring ourselves in a greater one. We trust God’s everlasting goodness even when life doesn’t make sense. We hold on to His promise that He will vindicate His people and show compassion to His servants. And as we wait, we praise—because praise is pleasant, praise is fitting, and praise is powerful.

Perhaps today you feel like that composer sitting at the piano in the dark. Maybe praise feels unnatural, maybe joy feels distant. But perhaps the pathway forward is the same: one line of praise. One moment of remembering God’s goodness. One breath of gratitude for His faithfulness.

And as you lift your voice—or simply your heart—you may find that praise begins to awaken joy, comfort, and peace once again.

It is indeed pleasant to praise the Lord. May His praise continually rise from your heart, shaping your days, strengthening your hope, and reminding you that the God you worship is great, good, faithful, and forever worthy of your song.