Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart. -Psalm 111:2

In the Hebrew, the word that begins the acrostic poem of Psalm 111 is “Hallelujah.” I imagine the Hallelujah of Psalm 111 as an unfettered, unbridled, whole-hearted Hallelujah that celebrates where God was so we can more clearly see where God is in hopes that we will trust where God will be no matter what comes our way.

When was the last time if felt like you praised God with your whole heart? With an echo of the command to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, we give God our whole-hearted hallelujah. A whole-hearted hallelujah doesn’t deny that things can be difficult. A whole-hearted hallelujah isn’t the same as toxic positivity, which is the idea that you need to be positive no matter what or else you’re failing at life somehow. A whole-hearted hallelujah says, “Yeah, things might be hard. And maybe they will still be hard. And maybe they’ll even get harder. Or maybe not. And maybe things are most excellent. But no matter what happens, I trust God will be God. I’m all in. Hallelujah.”

Blessings to you as you go ahead and belt out your praise and your joy. Be all-in with a whole-hearted hallelujah which renounces the power of sin and evil but does not deny they exist. Be all-in with a wholehearted hallelujah which turns to Jesus and says no matter what happens next, hate doesn’t have the last word. Thanks to the hope of Easter, Death doesn’t have the last word. Praise God. Belt it out and be all in with a whole-hearted hallelujah.