pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: praise


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Ever Before Me

Reading: Psalm 16

Verse 8: “I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken”.

Psalm 16 is written by David and flows with confidence in God. For David, God is his refuge, his giver of good things, his counselor. David trusts that God is worthy of his praise and rejoicing. He also knows that God is always present. With confidence David writes, “I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken”. He chooses a daily relationship with God and upon that relationship he can stand firm.

In today’s Psalm, David is affirming and positive. But life is not always good. David, like us, certainly had days and seasons when life was hard and had times when sin created separation from God. Some of David’s Psalms reflect these valleys. It was in those lows that David learned that God never leaves him. We too experience this if our first action in the valley is to reach out to God. The Lord is always there, always by our side. Verse 8 is a great verse to memorize or to put on a note card or to highlight in our Bibles.

Psalm 16 closes with another promise that can sustain us and help us through a trial or time of grief or suffering. God shows us the “path of life” – the way to eternal life. David knows that one day he will be in God’s presence, enjoying “eternal pleasures” at God’s right hand. What a joy it will be! This promise is ours too. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, help me to daily walk with you. Keep me intimately connected so that I can stand firm in the trials and hard times. Thank you for always being present to me, O God. Amen.


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Live Up

Reading: Psalm 8

Verse 5: “You made him a little lower than heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor”.

The psalmist begins and ends with the same line: “O Lord, our God, how majestic is your name in all the earth”! It is a good reminder of who God is and of our proper response – to praise God. In accordance, as the Psalm unfolds, the writer marvels at God’s handiwork that is evident in the heavens, stars, and moon. It leads him to questioning God being mindful of humanity. Compared to the vastness and immensity of creation, mankind can seem insignificant. We are but one small piece of the created order.

Humanity is one small but very important piece of the creation. In verse 5 we read, “You made him a little lower than heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor”. We are each made in the image of God. We are the “closest” to God in all of the created order. In the next verses we are reminded that God made humanity the “ruler” over the works of his hand. This idea of being a little lower than God can be both good and bad.

The idea is good when we read “ruler” as steward or caretaker of the earth and creation. The image we get of God is one of loving father, doing what is best for his children, even if it is sometimes hard. When God created, all was good. This remains God’s bent, for good to reign. But at times we can read “ruler” and think we can do or say anything we want. Our will and our desires can become the only thing that matter and the results are usually not for good.

When we consider this awesome responsibility, our place in the created order, we must remember that we are not God but are made in the image of God. Yes, we are called to be like him, but not to be him. When we see ourselves as “a little lower” than God we are less likely to be prideful and arrogant and self-serving. It does say “a little lower” so we must also seek to live up to that concept. In living up we remember our sacred worth and to live that out so that the Lord our God delights in us. The psalmist calls us to a high standard, one guided by love and care for the created world. May we live in a way that is pleasing to God.

Prayer: Lord God, you call us to a great standard – living in your image. Jesus lived that image well. He modeled a life filled with grace and mercy and love and service. May I follow him well this day, caring well for all that you place in my hands today. Amen.


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Praise the Creator

Reading: Psalm 104: 24-34 & 35b

Verse 24: “How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures”.

I cannot but help to look out the office window and see the green grass and tall trees gently swaying in the breeze. The sun is shining and even those little yellow dandelions have a beauty to them. There are still a few wet patches in the road – left by the softly falling rain that came by last evening. There are also a few birds chirping and singing to add an auditory sense to the scene outside. Verse 24 opens our Psalm today with these words: “How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures”. How true, how true!

Each element of the created world is imagined and made by God. That ranges from the minute amoeba to you and I to the vast array of stars and planets. All of it was created by God. The natural cycle of life is in verses 28 and 29. When God opens His hand, creation is satisfied. When God takes away breath, to dust all returns. In this too is a beauty because it is ordained and orchestrated by God.

In verse 30 the Spirit enters the story. With the Spirit we are created – the breath of life enters. As the Spirit continues to breathe life into us, “you renew the face of the earth”. To the grass, the trees, the birds… the breath of God’s Spirit brings the new leaves each spring… But to us, those created in God’s image, those who are counted as the children of God, this renewal is spiritual. Over and over the Holy Spirit sweeps through our lives, making us new again. The Spirit of God alive in us renews us over and over.

In verse 33 we read, “I will sing to the Lord all my life”. What an appropriate response to God’s renewing power in our lives. May we join the psalmist and all of creation today as we sing our joyful praise to the Lord!

Prayer: Creator God, thank you for tuning my heart and soul to the beauty of your creation. May I ever marvel at the works of your hand and may that always lead me to praise your wonderful name. Amen.


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Praise God

Reading: Psalm 148

Verse 13: “Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone in exalted”.

Today’s Psalm is all about praising God. We praise God not for God’s sake but for ours. Yes, scripture calls us to praise God and doing what we’re supposed to do can feel good. But that is not the only reason to praise God.

We praise God because that is where we can express our thanks. We can thank God for the blessings in our lives, for the guidance God gives, for the ways God protects us. When we are thankful we fight our natural tendency to center on self. Being thankful focuses us upon God and upon others.

When we praise God we are connecting with God. The intentional act of praise draws us into God’s presence. In those moments when we commune with God we are reminded of the love, peace, grace, mercy,… that flows from God into our lives. To be present with the living God also renews and refreshes us.

When we praise God we also share God with others. In the house of worship on Sunday morning or Saturday evening or whenever, when we praise God in community, we are sharing and building up one another’s faith. In the world, when we praise God in less formal ways, it can also be a testimony that builds up and encourages others. Whether an indirect or direct chance to evangelize, it exposes the world to God and to our faith.

Lastly, when we praise God we are reminded of who and what God is. Whether in song or scripture or prayer or message, when we praise God we are reminded of God’s attributes: omnipresent, omnipresent, good, just… We are also reminded of what God is: loving parent, wonderful Creator, strong protector, generous provider… Like expressing our thanks, this also leads to exalting God while we humble ourselves.

Each day may we find time and opportunity to praise the Lord our God. May it be so today and every day.

Prayer: God of all, this day I bring you my praise. You are in the beauty of the songbirds and in the sway of the breeze. Help me to connect to you all day long, being drawn closer to you in this way. Amen.


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Sing a Song!

Reading: Psalm 148

Verse 1: “Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the heights above”.

Songs are found throughout the Bible. Many people express their faith and their joys and sorrows through song. The Psalms are a book of songs. Psalm 148 is one of many that are songs of praise. It begins with, “Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the heights above” and invites all of creation to praise the Creator. The list begins with the angels and ends with the children. It also includes the heavenly bodies, all creatures, nature in all forms, and the forces of nature. Everything was created by God; therefore all should praise God.

Humanity is the part of creation made in God’s image. We are “closest” to God in our creation. One of the ways we can best connect to God is through song. When we praise God with song we recognize God’s presence in our lives and in our world. We acknowledge that God is in control. When we consider the choice of what we can sing, there is both a wide variety and a great volume. We can sing a Gregorian chant or a rap song. We can sing a classic hymn or a modern praise song. We can pick a song that is slow and somber or one that is jazzy and upbeat. There is a great variety of songs that contain both praise and good theology. Many songs are Bible verses put to music and other songs recount God’s presence and movement in people’s lives – they are sung testimonies.

When we sing a song, we are both reminding ourselves of God’s truths and activity in the lives of the faithful and we are also professing our faith. Song is also a universal language. It can therefore lead to evangelism. Try humming a song or hymn today and see if God provides an opportunity for you to tell another about your faith. Sing a song today and allow God to move in and through you!

Prayer: Lord, may my joyful noise be a fragrant offering to you and to others today. Give me an opportunity today to share my faith with another. Amen.


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Worship Him

Reading: Revelation 7: 13-17

Verse 17: “The Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; He will lead them to springs of living water”.

Earlier this week we read about the shepherd and the sheep. Jesus was the shepherd and we were the sheep. In our passage from Revelation, the shepherd has become the Lamb. At the end of His earthly ministry, Jesus willingly and obediently gave His life as the sacrifice for our sins. Jesus became the sacrificial lamb and His blood forever washes away our sin. He does this so that we too can be made pure and holy, so that we too can come through the “great tribulation” to drink of the living waters one day in life eternal.

The Lamb, however, continues to be the Shepherd too. Jesus has and will continue to gather the faithful to Himself and has and will “spread His tent” over them in heaven. There He provides for them so that they will not hunger or thirst. The sun will not scorch because He is the light in heaven. God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Love and peace shall reign as all gather around the throne to offer up their worship and praise.

Today, each in our time and place, may we also gather at the feet of Jesus, offering Him all of our worship and praise.

Prayer: Lord, may all of me worship all of you this day. All glory, praise, and honor to the One who sits on the throne in love. Amen.


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A Great Multitude

Reading: Revelation 7: 9-12

Verse 9: “A great multitude… from every nation, tribe, people, language, standing before the throne”.

Today’s passage is a wonderful one for today in our world and for many of our churches. John writes of this assembly that is a “great multitude”. This diverse body of believers gathers around the throne, in front of the Lamb, and worships. All are dressed in white robes and are waving palm branches. There is unity that comes from faith in Jesus Christ alone. This image casts a wide circle that seems to exclude no one. The gathering includes “every nation, tribe, people, language, standing before the throne”.

As Christians, how do we reflect this attitude in our lives and in our world? As a nation, we are struggling with who to allow into the land. As churches, we are struggling with who to allow into membership and leadership. As individuals, we are struggling with who is worthy of our love and care and friendship. When I look at Jesus’ life in the gospels, I see one who loved and ministered to and welcomed one and all. Jesus’ circle did not have any exceptions or any loopholes. How can ours?

In Revelation we see that people “from every nation, tribe, people, language” are standing in the presence of God, worshipping together as one. All the angels and elders and four living creatures join all of humanity to fall to their faces before God, worshipping and declaring “praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength to God for ever and ever”. May we too join their worship today, becoming the great multitude of God’s people, one and all. Amen.

Prayer: Help me to love all of my brothers and sisters just as your Son did. May I worship this day with all I meet. Amen.


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Before Our God

Reading: Revelation 5: 13-14

Verse 13: “Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them singing”.

Today the congregation swells! All the angels are joined by all the creatures of the earth. Verse 13 indicates that it is all of the living creatures on, under, and in the earth and sea. That is a big congregation. I wonder if they tried singing in a round with the angels in heaven.

The song is almost the same as the one the angels sang in verse 12. It acknowledges the Lamb on the throne who is worthy and receives praise, honor, glory, and power, for ever and ever. In these words there is a reverence and an awe. It is pure worship of the Lord. After the “Amen” is said, the elders fall down and worship. In my mind this looks and feels a lot like prayer. They fall to the ground and worship the Lord in prayer.

When praying, we often teach our children to bow their heads and to fold their hands. The idea or practice of bowing our head is a sign of respect – it is found in many cultures and religions. Often it is also a sign of someone else’s higher position or status. This is all appropriate for God. Folding our hands can represent waiting, being patient for God to be present, to answer, to speak. Some pray with hands open, palms turned towards heaven. This posture indicates a willingness to receive what God has to offer – being open to God’s possibilities. To pray and turn the palms towards the earth represents allowing the things of the world to fall away and the releasing of our sins, worries…

In our passage today the elders fall down to worship. We do not know if it was to their knees or if it was all the way to the ground, lying prostrate. These physical postures also demonstrate respect for God but also add an element of surrender. At times our prayer life can take on these postures. It is good for our souls to kneel before the Lord or even to lie down on the ground as we pray. In prayer today, may we kneel or lie before the Lord our God and join with all the angels in heaven as we worship our Lord and King!

Prayer: Jesus, in submission I bow. In humble surrender, I kneel before you now, acknowledging that you are King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Thank you for being my King and my Lord. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Amen.


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Worthy, Worthy

Reading: Revelation 5: 11-14

Verse 12: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain…”

The angels gather around the throne to praise the Lord Jesus Christ. The large numbers indicate a sea of faces gathered around the throne – people as far as the eye can see. All of them are praising the Lord. They sing, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain…”. They acknowledge that Jesus was slain – killed, crucified, murdered on the cross. As the Lamb, Jesus is the sacrifice for our sins. Whereas God had previously been the one who required us to bring sacrifices to atone for our sins, now it is God who brings the sacrifice to pay the price, once for all.

The host of heaven goes on to sing of what the Lamb is worthy to receive. The risen Lord receives power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise. As He sits on the throne, He receives all of this from His Father God and from those gathered around Him in worship. I hope to one day be in that host. I cannot imagine what it will be like to gather with such a multitude to be in the presence of and to worship our Lord and Savior.

As beautiful as this image is, though, it is equally pleasing to God when one on earth worships Him. One lost in worship on the couch or out for a walk or atop the mountain or wherever also brings much joy to our God in heaven. We simply cannot wait until we get to heaven to be lost in love with our Jesus. Our lives must be about how we love and worship the One on the throne. There are a myriad of ways that we can bring honor and glory and praise to our King. It can be in worship but it can also be in serving the church and one another, in caring for the needs of those around us, in acts of sacrificial giving… In all the ways we can, may we worship the Lord today.

Prayer: Jesus, you are worthy of my praise and worship. Because of who you were, who you are, and who you will be, none other is worthy of my love and service. This day and every day, may I follow you well, seeking to share your love with a world in need. Amen.


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God, Our Help

Reading: Psalm 30

Verse 2: “O Lord my God, I called to you for help and you healed me”.

Today’s Psalm is a great reminder of how God works in our lives and of how we should respond. God saves and rescues and redeems us; we exalt and praise and bring honor and glory to God. Both the action and reaction are built upon the same foundation: love.

The psalmist begins by recalling a time when God rescued him from the depths – from his enemies and from death. To gain rescue, he cried out, “O Lord my God, I called to you for help and you healed me”. God saved him. God rescued him. The response? To sing praises to God and to acknowledge that God’s favor “lasts a lifetime” and that because of God, joy comes in the morning. At times, God will also save us from the chains of death. At times, God turns us from the path that leads to death and guided us back to the narrow road that leads to life. As we reflect on those times, may we too praise our God of love.

In verse 8, the psalmist cries out to God for mercy. God’s mercy is something we do not deserve, but that God offers anyway. Our sins deserve punishment, but out of God’s great love for us, we are extended grace instead. Again the psalmist cried out for God’s help and faithfully God responded. This turns the psalmist’s wailing into dancing and he sings with joy to the Lord. May we also join in and sing our thanksgiving to God.

We have known God’s rescue and God’s redemption. For both we are eternally grateful. In the middle of the Psalm, in verses 6 and 7, there is another feeling we know. At moments the psalmist felt secure in life, good about himself and his situation. All seemed to be good. We’ve been there. We’ve begun to coast, to rest on our laurels. The psalmist writes, “when you his your face”. It feels like that when life again gets hard – we question God and God’s presence. But the reality is that we drifted, we got comfortable and complacent. As soon as we realize that and return to God, as soon as we cry out, like the psalmist experienced, God is present. God is our ever present help. May we too run back to God when we drift, remembering that God is always near, ready to love on us once again. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord, I am powerless. Without you, sin and death would rule. You are all-powerful. You have defeated that which I cannot – the power of sin and death. So reign in me, O God; walk with me, O Lord. Rescue and redeem me so that I can sing of your love for me with joy. Thank you for your presence in my life. You are an awesome God! Amen.