Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights above.
Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his heavenly hosts.
Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars.
Psalm 148:1-3 NIV
A Universe of Praise
The James Webb Space Telescope was launched on Dec. 25, 2021, and safely reached its destination a month later. Chris Willott and more than a dozen other Canadian astronomers got time on Webb because Canada contributed to the groundbreaking telescope by providing instruments: the fine-guidance sensor, which allows it to point and focus on objects, and the NIRISS that will be used to study the composition of the atmospheres on distant planets — called exoplanets — that orbit other stars.
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The world is filled with praise. Christians love to get together with other believers for times of praise. Our experience tends to be with others who live close to us and with whom we gather for corporate praise in our own church. Sometimes we gather with others from other churches for a time of community praise. Those times are always precious. What we so often fail to realize is that praising God is a universal activity – and I do mean universal. I’ve had the privilege of travelling to visit God’s people all over the world, and I love the various culturally aligned times of praise. Praise is global. But listen to what Psalm 148:1-3 says: “Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights above. Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly hosts. Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars.” The Creator is praised by His creation and arises from further afield than just this planet. Take time today to join the angels and the stars in their praise to Him today.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley