“Praise the Lord, sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the Godly. Let Israel be glad in his maker. Let the children of Zion rejoice in their king. Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre. For the Lord takes pleasure in his people. He adorns the humble with salvation. Let the Godly exalt in glory. Let them sing for joy on their beds.”
– Psalm 149:1–5
Huh, what a picture, right? The people of God singing, praising God, not because they have to. Not because it’s kind of the routine on Sundays to gather together with the assembly of the Godly. Those who have submitted their lives to God and gather together for worship, not out of religious duty, not out of monotonous, spiritual motion. The whole picture here is filled with joy.
The Lord of the Universe Takes Pleasure in You
So that Israel be glad. Let the children of Zion rejoice, let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre, different instruments. Why? Listen to verse four, for the Lord takes pleasure in his people. Would you just stop right now, and soak that one in. The Lord at Yahweh, the sovereign God of the universe takes pleasure in his people. So if you have put your faith in Jesus, you are among the people of God.
Psalm 149:1–5 Puts Our Value in God
So would you just let it soak in? Wherever you are right now, whether you’re sitting, lying down, walking, running, driving, whatever you’re doing, just let it soak in. The Lord, God of the universe takes pleasure in you. He loves you. God cares for you. He rejoices over. It says in Old Testament, I rejoice over my people with singing. This is a picture of the holy God of the universe who takes pleasure in you, that is life transforming, to realize today, tomorrow, you do not need to live for the approval of others, for the applause of others, you have the pleasure of God upon you.
So you don’t have to be looked at, or to look a certain way. You don’t have to impress certain people. The God of the universe takes pleasure in you. And even in our sinfulness, this is not perfect people singing this. This is people who are sinners before our holy God who have been saved by his grace, and we realize not based on our own merit, but solely by his mercy He takes pleasure in us. So God, I just, I pray that this truth would resound deeply in the hearts of every single person who’s listening right now. So God, I pray that if there’s anyone who has not put their trust in Jesus, who for some reason is listening to this Pray the Word podcast episode, that this would be the moment where they put their faith in Jesus.
Psalm 149:1–5 Praises God for the Joy We Have in Jesus
And as they do, that they would know that they are accepted before you, forgiven by you, redeemed by you, restored to you, where you take pleasure not based on anything we’ve earned, but based on the very righteousness of Jesus, your son. Above all else, God, for all who have trusted in Jesus, God, I just pray that right now, that reality would soak in deep and that it would cause rejoicing and gladness and dancing and singing for joy on our beds.
So God, help us, help us to realize the wonder of the reality that you take pleasure in us, and let it lead us to praise. Let it compel us to joyful exultant, Psalm 149:5, let the Godly exalt in glory, joyful, exultant worship. So make us this kind of people, we pray. For you, by your grace, take pleasure in us. Above all else, we praise you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
