1. Begin with Worship and Praise (v. 1). Psalms 111 and 112, along with 115-117, are “hallelujah” psalms that either begin or end with “Praise the Lord!” If we cannot rejoice in our circumstances, we can always rejoice in the Lord (Phil. 4:4). This opening verse is actually a vow; the writer is determined to praise God no matter what happens. Sometimes we simply need to get ourselves by the nape of the neck and decide to do what is right no matter how we feel! But he does not stay at home and worship in private, as important as that is; he goes to the sanctuary and joins in with others, for we encourage one another as we praise God together. The “company [assembly, council] of the upright” is a smaller group of the psalmist’s friends who, like him, are a part of the larger “congregation.” All of us have people in church who are very special to us, and as long as we do not form an exclusive clique, there is nothing wrong with worshipping God with your close friends. The “growth group” movement in the church today has proven very helpful, especially in larger congregations. But the important thing is that we are wholehearted in our worship, giving God our very best.