Psalm 119:164a: Seven times a day I praise You (YHWH).
Number ‘seven’ here in Hebrew means ‘perfect’. So, Psalm 119:164a actually means ‘praising the Lord perfectly, without limit, and infinitely’. In other words, ‘to praise Him as often as you can, without putting a limit’! Just as in Matthew 18:21-22, when Jesus said to forgive ‘seventy times seven’ in the parable of the unforgiving servant, he didn’t mean to say ‘forgive 490 times’. How about the 491st time? What Jesus actually meant was to ‘forgive perfectly, infinitely, without putting a limit’, ie ‘as often as when there’s a need to forgive’.
Why do we praise the Lord? Psalm 145:3 says ‘Great is the Lord (YHWH), and He is greatly to be praised. His greatness is unsearchable (ie ‘beyond our understanding)’. In New International Version, it reads ‘His greatness no one can fathom (no one can measure)’. He, YHWH, is great above all else, and infinitely much greater than all of the sun, stars & moon, even the galaxies combined! This is our great God, the one and only God, YHWH whom only we praise & worship!
So, people of God, when you have nothing else (or nothing better) to say or do, or don’t know what to say or do, just praise the Lord!
Psalm 22:3 says ‘God is enthroned in the praises of Israel’. The word ‘praises’ here in Hebrew is ‘tehillah’, which actually means ‘high praise, laudation’. This word ‘tehillah’ comes from the word ‘hawlal’ which simply means ‘praise’. Note that ‘Hallelujah’ means ‘praise the Lord (‘Yah’ here is the name of God, YHWH)’. The word ‘enthroned’ in Psalm 22:3 is also translated as ‘inhabitest’ in King James Version. It is ‘yashab’ in Hebrew, which means ‘to dwell, settle, abide, sit down (seated), remain’. As a believer, you are the ‘spiritual Israel’, the ‘temple of the Holy Spirit’ where God dwells (1 Corinthians 3:16).
So, when you ‘tehillah’, you are ‘putting (enthroning) Him’ as King, Sovereign, Ruler in your life, over your home, in your situation, or over your organization, and even your community or nation! That's what the Word of God says! And when He is ‘enthroned’ in your praises (‘tehillah’), He takes full control (takes on Rulership) over whatever situation you may be in! He ‘inhabits’ the praises of His people (& you as believer are His people)! And when He’s made ‘King’ over your situation, all’s well indeed! After all, He is great, and His greatness no one can fathom! And if He is for you (with you), who can be against you? (Romans 8:31).
Beloved, my prayer is may ‘tehillah’ never depart from your mouth day and night! Psalm 149:6 says ‘let high praises (tehillah) of God be in His people’s mouth’! Amen! So, the next time you hear something ‘disturbing’, or hear of a ‘discouraging’ news, or anything that may have ‘lowered your countenance’, anxious not! God is still in control! He is still the King, no matter what! Look at what the Word of God says, and not what people say, or what the newspapers say! Just start praising the Lord! Just start singing praises to Him (in spite of...)! Let YHWH be enthroned (over whatever situation you are in), and praise (‘tehillah’) your way to your victory & breakthrough!
