Psalm 111:1, 9-10 (NIV)
Praise the LORD. I will extol the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly. He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever—holy and awesome is his name. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.
Kanye West is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur, and fashion designer. West is among the most critically acclaimed musicians of the 21st century and one of the best-selling music artists of all time with over 140 million records sold worldwide. He has won a total of 21 Grammy Awards, making him one of the most awarded artists of all time and the most Grammy-awarded artist of his generation. Much of his messaging and content has been ungodly and his struggles have been well known…until a few years ago when he released his ninth studio album—Jesus Is King—and began openly, regularly, and enthusiastically sharing the fact that he had become a born-again Christian.
His appearances on the big late night shows as well as virtually every interview he gave were laden with his professions of faith, born-again status, love for and submission to Jesus as his King. It was a truly remarkable turn of events and Christians should be praying for him and others that seem to become Christians. For quite some time Kanye had been true to the opening verse of today’s psalm as he was praising the name of Jesus wherever he went. Additionally, he was voicing godly opinions that showed a clear and healthy fear of the Lord as well as great joy in his redemption. As West recently said, “Kanye West works for God!” How are you and I doing in that respect?
Regarding this Psalm, Pastor James Boice wrote, “If we want other people to praise God, we must praise God first. If we want them to love God, we must love him too. If we want others to serve God, we must serve him. We must set an example.” How obvious is your love for God? Have you gone public with it, yet? Is your appreciation for your salvation readily on your lips? How often are you in service to your Heavenly King? Spurgeon, in his commentary on the first verse of Psalm 111, said, “All ye his saints unite in adoring Jehovah, who worketh so gloriously. Do it now, do it always: do it heartily, do it unanimously, do it eternally. Even if others refuse, take care that ye have always a song for your God. Put away all doubt, question, murmuring, and rebellion, and give yourselves up to the praising of Jehovah, both with your lips and in your lives.”
You and I certainly don’t have a public platform as large or as well-funded as Kanye West’s, but each one of us has a personal platform that someone of Kanye’s status can’t touch—the people in your daily life. How often do your children and/or grandchildren hear you give praises to the Lord? Do your co-workers know about your love affair with Christ? Is your circle of friends well acquainted with your faith in God and His calling on your life? God has redeemed us from our sin! His covenant with us will never be broken! Holy and awesome is his name! God gives us wisdom and spiritual understanding that unbelievers simply can’t access! Of course, we should praise Him! Of course, we should extol his name in the council of our circle of friends! To him belongs eternal praise!
