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Illustration for Psalm 113: Praise the LORD's Name

Psalm 113

Praise the LORD's Name

PraiseComfort

Praise God's name from the rising of the sun to its setting! God sits high above all nations and stoops down to look at the world. He lifts up the poor from the dust and gives a home to the lonely. What an amazing, humble, caring God!

  1. 1Hallelujah! Praise the LORD, O servants of the LORD; praise the name of the LORD.
  2. 2Blessed be the name of the LORD, both now and forevermore.
  3. 3From the rising of the sun to its setting, let the name of the LORD be praised.
  4. 4The LORD is exalted above all the nations, His glory above the heavens.
  5. 5Who is like the LORD our God, who is enthroned on high,
  6. 6who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?
  7. 7He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
  8. 8He seats them with princes, with the princes of His people.
  9. 9He settles the barren woman in her home as a joyful mother of children. Hallelujah!

What it means

God sits higher than every nation on earth — and then He bends right down to look at us. He lifts poor people out of the dust and gives lonely people a family. That is the shape of God's greatness: it always bends downward to help.

A little prayer

God, You are higher than everything, and You still bend down to see me. Thank You for lifting up people who are poor and lonely. Help me bend down and help others too. Amen.

Memory verse

“who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?”

Psalm 113:6 (BSB)

The whole psalm in one motion: high above, and bending down.

Talk about it

Questions with no single right answer — for a family table or a Sunday-school circle.

  1. The psalm says God sits high above everything and then stoops down to look. Why both?
  2. It says He lifts the poor from the dust and seats them with princes. Have you seen anything like that?
  3. It says to praise God from sunrise to sunset. What does all-day praise look like?
  4. Who do you know who has been lifted up?

Try this

Stoop down

Stand on a chair — safely — and look at the room. Then lie on the floor and look again. Talk about what you can see from each, and read verses 5 and 6.

Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB)