Psalm 135 opens and closes with the same simple yet profound invitation,
Praise the Lord.
This repetition frames the Psalm like a sacred inhale and exhale.
Praise is not presented as a religious duty or the moral requirement,
But as a remembering of who we are and where we stand in the greater glory of life.
In a modern world where attention is fragmented and meaning is often outsourced to achievement or approval,
Praise becomes a way of gathering the self.
It draws scattered thoughts,
Anxious emotions and weary bodies back into alignment with what is enduring,
Good and trustworthy.
Praise shifts us from rumination to reverence,
From looping worries to widening awareness.
It reconnects us with the presence that holds all things,
Including us,
Even when life feels unstable or unclear.
For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself,
Israel for his special treasure.
For I know that the Lord is great,
And our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the Lord pleases,
He does,
In heaven and in earth,
In the seas and in all deep places.
He causes the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain.
He brings the wind out of his treasuries.
He destroyed the firstborn of Egypt,
Both of man and beast.
He sent signs and wonders into the midst of you,
O Egypt,
Upon Pharaoh and all his servants.
He defeated many nations and slew many kings.
Sibon,
King of the Amorites,
King of Bashan and all the kingdoms of Canaan,
And gave their land as a heritage,
A heritage to Israel,
His people.
Your name,
O Lord,
Endures forever.
Your fame,
O Lord,
Throughout all generations.
For the Lord will judge his people,
And he will have compassion on his servants.
The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
The work of men's hands.
They have mouths,
But they do not speak.
Eyes they have,
But they do not see.
They have ears,
But they do not hear.
Nor is there any breath in their mouths.
Those who make them are like them.
So is everyone who trusts in them.
Bless the Lord,
O house of Israel.
Bless the Lord,
O house of Aden.
Bless the Lord,
O house of Levi.
You who fear the Lord,
Bless the Lord.
Blessed be the Lord out of Zion,
Who dwells in Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.
Praise the name of the Lord.
Praise him,
O you servants of the Lord.
You who stand in the house of the Lord,
In the courts of the house of our God.
Praise the Lord,
For the Lord is good.
Sing praises to his name,
For it is pleasant.
For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself,
Israel for his special treasure.
The psalm first addresses those who stand in the house of the Lord.
This is a quiet but powerful image.
To stand is not to rush or to perform,
But to remain.
These verses honour those who simply show up,
Even when faith feels dry,
Routine,
Or wordless.
Being named as God's special treasure speaks directly to a deep psychological need.
The need to belong without condition.
Many of us carry an unspoken fear of being overlooked,
Replaceable,
Or only valued for what we produce.
This passage gently counters that fear.
You are chosen not because you are impressive,
But because you are loved.
Not because you are useful,
But because you are known.
Let this be an inner reparenting moment.
A chance to soften the inner critic and hear a steadier voice beneath it.
You are allowed to rest in being wanted.
For I know that the Lord is great,
And our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the Lord pleases,
He does,
In heaven and in earth,
In the seas and in all deep places.
He causes the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain.
He brings the wind out of his treasuries.
Here the psalm widens our field of vision.
God is described as greater than all gods,
Moving freely through heaven,
Earth,
Seas,
Storms,
Lightning,
Wind,
And rain.
These verses speak directly to our relationship with control.
Much of human anxiety arises from the belief that safety comes from managing outcomes.
Yet life,
Like weather,
Is inherently dynamic.
Vapours rise,
Winds shift,
Storms come and go.
These verses invite us to loosen our grip,
Not into passivity,
But into trust.
They remind us that unpredictability does not mean meaninglessness.
There is an intelligence moving through creation that does not depend on our understanding to remain faithful.
Peace often comes,
Not from mastering life,
But from trusting the one who moves within it.
Verses 8-12 He destroyed the firstborn of Egypt,
Both of man and beast.
He sent signs and wonders into the midst of you,
O Egypt,
Upon Pharaoh and all his servants.
He defeated many nations and slew many kings.
Sibon,
King of the Amorites,
Our king of Bashar,
And all the kingdoms of Canaan,
And gave their land as a heritage,
A heritage to Israel,
His people.
The psalm now turns to memory,
Recalling liberation from Egypt and the long journey toward promise.
This is not nostalgia.
It is spiritual grounding.
These stories are archetypal.
Each of us has known Egypt-like seasons,
Inner landscapes marked by fear,
Constriction,
Addiction,
Grief,
Or silence.
The act of remembering deliverance strengthens resilience.
It reminds us that the present moment is not the whole story.
Remembering survival restores agency.
Spiritually,
It nurtures hope.
We are not only shaped by what wounded us,
But also by what carried us through.
Healing deepens when we honour where we have been and acknowledge how far we have come.
Verses 13-14 Your name,
O Lord,
Endures forever.
Your fame,
O Lord,
Throughout all generations.
For the Lord will judge His people,
And He will have compassion on His servants.
Endurance paired with compassion is a powerful combination.
Strength alone can feel intimidating.
Compassion alone can feel fragile.
Together,
They create safety.
Judgment here is not condemnation,
But clarity rooted in care.
This speaks tenderly to those who live under harsh inner standards or chronic self-blame.
Growth does not happen through punishment.
It happens through understanding.
Transformation flourishes in an atmosphere of kindness.
Let compassion become the tone of your inner voice.
Steady,
Truthful,
And merciful.
Verses 15-18 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
The work of men's hands.
They have mouths,
But they do not speak.
Eyes they have,
But they do not see.
They have ears,
But they do not hear,
Nor is there any breath in their mouths.
Those who make them are like them.
So is everyone who trusts in them.
These verses contrast the living God with lifeless idols,
Things that appear powerful,
But cannot speak,
See,
Hear,
Or breathe.
Modern idols are rarely statues.
They are often internalized systems.
Productivity,
Approval,
Control,
Perfection,
Certainty.
When we place our trust in these,
We gradually lose contact with what is alive in us.
We become efficient,
But disconnected.
Accomplished,
But breathless.
Misplaced trust leads to numbness.
It narrows the soul.
What we trust shapes who we become.
Choose what is alive.
Choose what can see,
Hear,
Respond,
And breathe with you.
Verses 19-21 Bless the Lord,
O house of Israel.
Bless the Lord,
O house of Aaron.
Bless the Lord,
O house of Levi.
You who fear the Lord,
Bless the Lord.
Blessed be the Lord out of Zion,
Who dwells in Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord.
The psalm closes by widening the circle.
Israel,
Priests,
Servants,
All who revere the Lord are invited to bless together.
Praise becomes communal breath.
It reminds us that faith is not meant to be carried in isolation.
Even when practiced alone,
Praise connects us to a larger story,
One that stretches across generations and cultures.
To bless together is to remember that we belong to each other,
To something greater than ourselves,
And to a sacred story still unfolding.
A Prayer O Lord,
Teach my heart to praise when words are few.
To trust when understanding is limited,
And to rest in compassion that never fades.
May I release what cannot give life,
And place my trust in what endures forever.
Praise the Lord.
Amen.
