Psalm 146
The psalmist praises God from the depths of the soul, and for the entirety of (his? her?) life. This praise is focused upon God and not upon earthly leaders. This praise identifies and celebrates God’s nature: God executes justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry, sets prisoners free, opens the eyes of the blind, lifts up those who are bowed down, and cares for strangers, orphans, and widows.
Will our praise be hollow if it acknowledges God’s character, but does not involve living our lives doing what God cares about? How can we “fill” our praise, not only with adoration and worship of God, but with the lives and deeds that flow from a recognition that God’s holiness – God’s very character – is expressed in caring graciously for the establishing of justice for those who have so often been ignored, despised, and oppressed?