Praise the Lord ... beasts and all livestock ... young men and maidens ... old men and children.

Psalm 148:7,10,12

While camping recently in the Rockies, I saw many animals, including a huge elk posing majestically in the road and a deer and fawn prancing across a hillside. These wild animals were praising their Creator simply by doing what he created them to do. We, too, can praise God by doing what he designed us to do, even when our lives are limited.

We praise God when we remember, with gratitude, his magnificence and his gifts, earned for us through Jesus’ death on the cross. We can praise God as we get out of bed, as we do a chore, as we wait for the caregiver bringing our meal. And when we speak God’s praise in front of others, it invites them to grow closer to the Creator, too.

Karen Kogler
Palatine, IL

Father, I praise you for who you are and the life you’ve given me. Amen.

Reflect: See how many reasons you can list for praising God in 5 minutes.

Read: Psalm 148 and Psalm 150