New Light on Psalm 150 by Rev. Teresa Stuefloten, M.Div. 10/25/2026
Good morning! This is Rev Teresa. This morning I am speaking about Psalm 150, the last Psalm in the book of Psalms in the Bible.
I will begin by reading Psalm 150 from the Aramaic translation of the Bible by George M. Lamsa.
1. Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in the firmament of his power.
2. Praise him for his mighty acts; praise him according to his excellent greatness.
3. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet; praise him with the psaltery and harp.
4. Praise him with the timbrel and pipe; praise him with the sweet stringed instruments.
5. Praise him upon loud cymbals; praise him with mighty song.
6. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.
Now I want to say that God has no gender, so “him” is just the term used by a patriarchal writer. We could just as well say, Praise God in her sanctuary. In fact, I will read it to you again with female pronouns.
1. Praise the Lord. Praise God in her sanctuary; praise her in the firmament of her power.
2. Praise her for her mighty acts; praise her according to her excellent greatness.
3. Praise her with the sound of the trumpet; praise her with the psaltery and harp.
4. Praise her with the timbrel and pipe; praise her with the sweet stringed instruments.
5. Praise her upon loud cymbals; praise her with mighty song.
6. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.
If you are female, I hope that feels affirming. God is the source of our very life and indwells each one of us. Praising God is praising our source and the substance of our very being. It is praising the Divinity that is the Truth of each one of us at our core. God indwelling us is whatever gender we are.
Psalm 139:14-16 says, “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”
Maybe you, like me, were wondering what kind of instrument the psaltery referred to in this Psalm is, an instrument unfamiliar to us. And, by the way, psaltery begins with the letter p, just like psalms. I searched online and this is what I found: “A psaltery in the Bible is an ancient stringed musical instrument—likely a type of lyre, harp, or lute—played with the fingers to accompany vocal praise and temple worship.” (biblestudytools.com) The mystery is solved!
The point of Psalm 150 is to praise the Source of all good, God the good, for our life and for all of the blessings we have been given. It is about gratitude and recognition that we have been given grace.
An article by the American Brain Foundation titled “Does Gratitude Rewire Your Brain?” says;
“The Brain Science of Gratitude”
“How would you describe the experience of gratitude? You might say it’s a warm, fuzzy feeling you get when other people express their appreciation for you, or when you appreciate them. Gratitude is a feeling, but it’s also the deliberate act of acknowledging an external source for something you value, whether that source is another person, a community, or a deity or spiritual concept. Psychologically, expressing and receiving thanks can be enormously validating, and your brain rewards you for it by releasing neurotransmitters (organic chemicals for transmitting signals through the nervous system) that make you feel happier.”
“Gratitude could be thought of as a way for the brain to encourage kindness toward others and motivate individuals to engage in socially conscious behavior. But research shows that, biologically, there is much more going on than earning a reward of feel-good chemicals. In fact, gratitude activates physiological changes in many different brain regions.”
PRACTICING GRATITUDE AS A DELIBERATE ACT CAN HELP YOU FEEL HAPPIER, ESPECIALLY IF YOU FOCUS ON IT DAILY.
"When we feel grateful, neurotransmitters trigger activity in the medial prefrontal cortex, the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), the ventral striatum, and the insula. These brain regions are involved in cognitive functions like higher-order thinking, decision-making, emotional awareness, and motivation. Gratitude also affects the brain’s limbic system, including the hypothalamus, which can boost the neurotransmitter serotonin and signal the brainstem to produce dopamine. Dopamine enhances feelings of contentment, and it encourages repeated expressions of gratitude, which can contribute to a more consistently positive outlook on life.”
“”The amygdala, another component of the limbic system, is involved in emotional processing and fear responses. When we make gratitude a regular practice, the amygdala activates the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which counteracts the “fight-or-flight” response of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) in times of stress. The PNS activation reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol, leading to a sense of relaxation. It also supports bodily functions like digestion, immune response, and sleep, all of which can be compromised or deprioritized during stress. Regularly focusing on gratitude can reduce the amygdala’s reactivity to stressors. This can help individuals have less intense emotional reactions to stressful situations and maintain a calmer and more balanced emotional state.”
“By regularly experiencing and expressing gratitude, we change our perspective and think about things in new, more positive ways. This cognitive “rewiring” has a biological foundation, in that the brain reorganizes signaling pathways between neurons. This may also have benefits for brain health. One study found that people who experienced higher levels of gratitude had developed an increased volume of gray matter, brain tissue associated with processing sensation, voluntary movement, perception learning, speech, and a wide variety of cognitive tasks.” (americanbrainfoundation.org)
The article says that gratitude promotes well-being by helping us develop a more positive mindset, reducing stress, reducing anxiety, reducing depression, improving emotional resilience, improving focus, improving immunity, improving sleep, improving social bonding, and improving general health. Those are pretty good reasons to practice gratitude every day.
Write down things you are grateful for. Stand in front of a mirror and tell yourself 5 things you are grateful for about yourself.
When you eat, feel gratitude for the food rather than just taking your nourishment for granted. There are many in the world who do not have the luxury of taking their daily food for granted.
Neville Goddard, a prominent New Thought speaker, writer and mystic of the 1900s, interprets Psalm 150 from the perspective of inner praise to the Divine within.
From Neville’s inner vision:
“Psalm 150 shows that praise is not a duty, but a state of consciousness in which I am aware of the presence of the I AM. The instruments and bells are not external things but inner sounds that arise as I attune my mind to the vibration of God within. When I imagine the timbrel, dance, or cymbals, I am rehearsing the cadence of breath moving through my attention. The call to praise with every breath teaches me that worship is the alignment of my inner world with its divine tempo; it is where longing and gratitude fuse into one Now. The moment I accept that 'Let every thing that has breath' is spoken by my own awareness, I release the sense of lack and acknowledge that the entire universe is already vibrating with praise within me. Thus, the presence of God becomes not a distant event but the continuous felt reality of being alive, a luminous activity of mind that responds to the Lord by living in praise.”
“Psalm 150:1 invites praise as a movement of consciousness: enter your inner sanctuary and behold the vast firmament of power within. In Neville's terms, praise shifts your state and makes the I AM aware.”
“Psalm 150:2 speaks of praising God for his mighty acts and according to his excellent greatness. In my inner teaching, the mighty acts are not distant events but movements of consciousness within you. Praise becomes a deliberate alignment of your I AM with the splendid energy that creates all things. When you fix your attention on the inner greatness—the invisible, unchanging awareness that you are—you are not petitioning some far-off power; you are invoking the power that already resides as your very being. The words 'Praise him' are a command to your own inner atmosphere, calling your feelings, images, and choices to harmonize with the level of reality you intend to live. To practice, dwell in the feeling of being already in the presence of greatness, and let your imagination echo back the brilliant acts you affirm. As you dwell in this awareness, the external scenes begin to reflect the inner harmony; your life becomes the outward proof of an inward praise.”
“From the Neville Goddard perspective, these verses invite you to recognize that all praise is an act of consciousness, not a recital of external facts. The mighty acts and excellent greatness are inner states you choose to inhabit by imagination. When you imagine lifting your heart in homage, you align with the I AM and awaken the power that creates your life. The trumpet, psaltery, harp, timbrel, dance and organs are symbols of the many tones your consciousness can assume; through them you calibrate your inner atmosphere, inviting harmony, order and victory into your world. Each instrument becomes a cue to dwell in gratitude, to refuse dwelling in limitation, and to claim that the presence of God is already yours. Praise is not a ritual you perform so God notices you; it is the act of noticing your own divine nature and assuming its reality. By a steady, grateful assumption, you revise your self-conception until your surroundings reflect a praise-filled consciousness.”
“All true worship, in this light, is not to praise some distant power but to awaken your own I AM. The sanctuary is not a building, but the quiet center of your awareness where attention rests. The firmament of power is the boundless imagination you can project within the mind's sky. When you say praise, you are affirming that God, the I AM, is present now as your living consciousness. In practice, attention becomes devotion, devotion becomes feeling, and feeling becomes reality. The Psalm invites you to treat every thought as a doorway into that presence, to praise not as ritual outside you but as recognition of what you already are. The act of praise collapses separation; it invites the mist of doubt to part, revealing your creative faculty as God in you.” (End of quote)
Neville’s explanation of Psalm 150 makes it clear that we are not praising a God outside of ourself, but the intimate presence of God within each one of us. God is our very breath. God is closer than the breath. God is our heart. God is within our heart. God is every heartbeat. God is our pulsing blood. God is the food we eat, nourished by the sun and the rain provided by God. God is our very life.
The message is to turn within to experience the joy of God’s presence within us. This is meditation, getting quiet and experiencing God within. The sound of Om is heard within in meditation. As we get quiet and listen we can hear the joyful sound of the Divine. The heart opens and we experience Divine Love. The vibration of God is felt within. It is exquisite joy!
Rev. Dr. Joseph Murphy, a prominent Divine Science minister of the 1900s, says of Psalm 150 in his book, “Songs of God”:
“The Psalms conclude with an acclamation of universal praise to the Lordly Power called God.
A woman living here in Leisure World had acquired a degenerative disease and was confined to a wheelchair. She told me she began to affirm: ‘I exalt God in the midst of me, mighty to heal me. I Praise God. He is healing me now.’
Her praise did not change God, for God is changeless; but the faith and devotion and the reiteration of her single prayer lifted up her mind and heart to the point of acceptance. She had a wonderful healing and is now walking around, full of vigor and vitality. She repeated her prayer for about 15 or 20 minutes at a time, many times a day. It was on her lips nearly all the time.
One night in her dreams a man appeared to her. He appeared to be a sage or wise man. In her sleep state, he said to her, ‘You are healed. Get up and walk.’ She awoke, startled, got up and walked. She discovered the great truth: Let everything that has breath praise the Lord… (Psalm 150:6)”
Dr. Murphy goes on to say:
“I believe that an appropriate prayer at the conclusion of the Psalms is the story of The Holy Man:
THE HOLY MAN
“Long, long ago, there lived a Holy Man so good that the astonished angels came from heaven to see how one could be so godly. He simply went about his daily life radiating love as the star diffuses light and the flowers perfume without even being aware of it. Two words summed up his day: He gave, and he forgave. Yet these words never fell from his lips: They were expressed in his ready smile, and in his kindness, love and goodwill.
The angels said to God, ‘Oh Lord, grant him the gift of miracles.’
God replied, ‘I consent; ask what he wishes.’
‘What do you desire then?’ cried the angels.
‘What can I wish for?’ Asked the Holy Man smiling. ‘That God give me His grace, with that should I not have everything?’
The angels insisted, ‘You must ask for a miracle or one will be forced upon you.’
‘Very well,’ said the Holy Man, ‘that I may do a great deal of good without ever knowing it.’
The angels were greatly perplexed. They took counsel together and resolved upon the following plan: Every time the Holy Man’s shadow should fall behind him, or at either side, so he could not see it, it should have the power to cure disease, soothe pain, and comfort sorrow.
And so it came to pass. When the Holy Man walked along, his shadow on the ground, on either side of him or behind him, made arid paths green, caused withered plants to bloom, gave clear water to dried-up brooks, fresh color to pale little children, and joy to unhappy mothers. The Holy Man simply went about his daily life pouring forth love as the star diffuses light and the flower perfume without ever being aware of it.
And the people, respecting his humility, followed him silently, never speaking about his miracles. Little by little, they came to even forget his name, and called him only, ‘The Holy Man.”
(End of quote)
Living with gratitude, praising the Divine daily for all of our blessings, and going within to Divine Joy in meditation daily, leads us to living a joyful life. When we live a joyful life we are just naturally loving and want to help others. Like the Holy Man, we go about our life as a blessing, spreading love and joy to everyone we meet. That is a wonderful life! And so it is!
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