Why Is God Worthy of Praise? – Psalm 150:2
Jul 15, 2026 2
What makes God worthy of praise? The answer changes everything about how we worship.
Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! — Psalm 150:2 (ESV)
This week, we are in Psalm 150, where we ask four questions about praising the LORD. Where? Why? How? By Whom. We’ve looked at where. Now let’s ask why.
Why is God to be praised?
What This Meant for Israel
Psalm 150:2 gives us two reasons to praise God. Two things that make him worthy of praise.
First, “his mighty deeds”. What he has done.
For Israel, this meant remembering. They looked back at the Exodus. The mightiest deed they’d ever seen. God came in fierce judgment on Egypt with plagues. Then he came in salvation, rescuing Israel from slavery. For centuries, they rehearsed that story. They remembered because God had proven himself powerful, faithful, and good.
But it wasn’t just the Exodus. Israel praised God for all his mighty acts. He was the Creator. He sustained the world. He brought justice. He set prisoners free. He opened the eyes of the blind. He cared for the widow and the orphan. He brought peace. Everywhere they looked, they saw a God who acted, a God who is mighty to save.
Second, “his excellent greatness”. Who he is in himself.
This wasn’t just about his deeds. It was about his character. His being. God was great. God was powerful. God was wise. There were no other gods like him. He was holy and yet personal. Faithful in every way. He was worthy of praise not because of what he did, but because of who he is.
For Israel, these two things went together. What God did revealed who he was. His deeds demonstrated his character.
What This Means for Us This Side of the Cross
We can read through the whole Old Testament. We can see God’s mighty deeds. We can look at the Exodus. We can see how powerful God was in his acts. But for those of us living this side of the New Testament, it’s even more breathtaking. Those events, as incredible as they are, pale in comparison. Because we have seen the mightiest deed of God.
In 1 Corinthians 5:7, Paul tells us that Christ is our Passover lamb.
Jesus, on the night before he died, gathered with his disciples to remember the Exodus. He said, “From now on, do this in remembrance of me.” Only a few hours later, a greater act of redemption was about to happen.
And it did. Jesus went to the cross. The one without blemish. The Lamb of God. And there, at that cross, something incredible happened. God’s anger at our sin and his mercy for us came together. His wrath poured out on Jesus. His grace poured out for us.
That’s the mightiest deed of God. That’s why we praise him. Not because life is always easy. Not because everything feels good right now. But because we’ve seen who God is and what he’s done. We’ve seen that he loves us so much that he sent his Son to die in our place. To rescue us. To make us his people.
And yes, some of you might find it hard to praise God right now. You’re carrying something. You’re struggling with something. Praise feels distant.
But here’s the thing. Your praise of God isn’t based on how you feel at any given moment. It’s based on him. It’s based on his excellent greatness and his mighty deeds. It’s based on the cross. And that doesn’t change, no matter what’s happening around you or within you.
The Good News Is…
Jesus is the mightiest deed of God. He lived the life we failed to live, and he died the death that we deserve, and he rose again offering resurrection life to all who trust in him.
That’s why he is worthy of praise. That’s who deserves our hallelujah.
Reflection
When you think about what Jesus has done for you at the cross, what rises in your heart? What would it look like to praise him today, not because you feel good, but because of who he is and what he has done?
Rev. Dave Miers
President, Good News Unlimited