Praise the name of the Lord

"The name of the LORD be blessed from now on and for ever ... Who is like the LORD our God ? He placed his dwelling on high ; he lowers himself to look into the heavens and the earth. From the dust he causes the wretch to rise, from the dunghill he raises up the poor, to sit with the nobles, with the nobles of his people." Psalm 113: 2, 5-7

This psalm presents God so touchingly that we are inevitably led to praise Him. He exalts the greatness of God, but he also shows him lowering himself with solicitude over the wretched. Two women also pointed out that God is high, but he lowers to approach them, give them all his attention and even fill them with a child. These feelings are expressed with admiration and gratitude in the canticle of Anne (1 Samuel 2) and later in that of Mary (Luke 1). Though higher than the heavens, God lowers Himself to "little ones" often despised by the world and takes them under His protection.

The psalmist praises the name of the Lord, that is, the Lord Himself. To praise is to thank the Lord for what he is and not only for what he does. "Yahweh" is the French translation of this marvelous name "YHWH" (Yahweh), the name revealed to Moses at the revelation of the "burning bush" : "I am he that am" (Exodus 3:14). This amazing revelation presents God as one who takes his people in charge in a dark period of his history : "I saw, I saw the affliction of my people that is in Egypt, and I heard the cry that 'he threw ..." (Ex 3.7). This name has kept a very intimate connotation for the people.

We Christian believers think of our Savior and Lord, to whom we have given the name of Jesus, the name that "is above every name" (Phil 2: 9). It is under this name of Jesus that he approaches his disciples before leaving them and assures them of his presence : "Behold, I am with you every day, until the completion of the century" (Matthew 28:18, 20). This promise of Jesus still echoes in our ears and encourages us, for we can feel His presence with us and in us.

Source (To pleasing the Lord)