Tag Archives: praise

Psalms 56-61; Praising in the Pit

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How do you pray when life seems unbearable? Or do you?

We all know David’s life was hard. I mean, he lived for years in caves, hiding from Saul who pursued him relentlessly in order to kill him. David never knew who he could trust. He was alone and tired, frustrated and discouraged. In 57:4 he describes his life like this:

I am in the midst of lions; I lie among ravenous beasts — men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.

But then, in the very next verse David says these words:

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.

Is that your experience? Or on those days when you feel like you’re lying among ravenous beasts, do you stop praying and just focus on the beasts? Do you sit in your cave and feel sorry for yourself? Do you watch other people who don’t have your problems and ask yourself, “Why me?”

Why not take a suggestion from David’s example?

When I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me? (56:3-4)

O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God. (59:17)

For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. (57:10)

You may be in the pit of despair, but God is worthy of praise. Praise Him! You might feel like there is no hope, but God is our hope. Praise Him! You might think you are alone, but God promises to never leave or forsake His children. Praise Him!

Praise Him just because He is, and He deserves it. Then trust Him with the details of your life.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth!

Psalms 45-48; Time To Praise

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I hope you’ll read these psalms today as though God is your audience. Take time to praise Him who is worth of our praise. He deserves it, and it will take your mind off yourself for a few minutes. Win. Win.

Praise God who clothes us with the beauty of His righteousness. Praise God who is our refuge, our ever present help, our river of living water, our fortress. Praise God whose love is unfailing.

Praise God the King, awesome, worthy, beautiful, seated on His Holy throne, reigning forever.

Be still. Know that He is God.

Praise Him!

 

I Chronicles 10-13; Every Good And Perfect Gift

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I have always had a problem with the way David treated the water three of his men risked their lives to bring him. David said he was thirsty – maybe he said he was dying of thirst – and three soldiers sneaked into the Philistine camp to draw water from a Philistine well for their king.

You’d think David would be grateful. You’d think, if he couldn’t bring himself to drink it, he’d at least offer it to the men who had just risked their lives to get it. They were probably thirsty, too.

But, no. David pours the water on the ground. I always saw that as disrespectful toward those soldiers… until today when I read Matthew Henry who called it a “drink offering.”

Hello, Connie. Read what’s there in God’s Word. David didn’t simply pour the water out, he poured it out “before the Lord.” He gave the precious gift, that gift obtained at great risk, to God!

So often I find myself thinking I deserve someone’s kindness. I’m a Baby Boomer, after all, and we were raised to believe we deserve the best. We raised our children to believe in the “Me First” philosophy of life, and they raised their children to believe no one else matters, except “Me.” It’s ingrained in us to believe we deserve only good things.

Why didn’t David drink his fill, and reward the men who gave it to him? He was King. Who deserved it more than he? And didn’t the men deserve a little recognition for their sacrifice?

The reason David did what he did is because he was humbled at the gesture. It caused the king to take a closer look at himself. David realized that even he did not deserve it. So he turned around and offered that life-giving gift to God, with thankfulness and praise.

I have a friend who loves to bake. She is also one of the most giving people I know. And occasionally she shows up at my door with a warm loaf of homemade bread. Let me tell you, there is nothing better.

I thank her. I give her a hug. I praise her baking skills, and recognize her generosity. I hope she knows how much her gesture (and the delicious bread) means to me.

But I never considered thanking God for it. James 1:17 tells us “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father…” Now I know this is talking about sin, and salvation, and God’s unchanging nature. But I wonder if it doesn’t speak to what David did here in I Chronicles, too.

Because the reality is everything good in my life is a direct gift from God. And I don’t deserve any of it. Not even that delicious bread. So shouldn’t I, like David, turn around and give God the praise for it all? Shouldn’t I be aware of the many ways God blesses me through the kindness of people around me?

If King David, a man after God’s own heart, was humbled at the kindness of his men, how much more should I be humbled when good things happen to me? I don’t deserve God’s blessings, but I am blessed.

I don’t believe God would have me toss that warm bread into the trash can as an offering to Him. But I wonder if cutting a slice or two and taking it to my neighbor, or giving the whole loaf to someone who is ill, or inviting someone who needs Jesus into my home to share the bread, wouldn’t be a better way of giving it back to God than enjoying the whole thing myself.

I want to pour myself out before the Lord, empty myself of self, and acknowledge that God is the giver of every good and perfect gift, even those that come out of my friend’s oven.

May God be praised.

 

 

November 1 – I Love A Parade

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Matthew 20-21

Last summer, the Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA Championship. To honor them, the city gave them a parade. I don’t know if you watched it on TV, but it was pretty impressive. Over a million people lined the streets of downtown to get a glimpse at their heroes. The cars carrying the players couldn’t even move because the fans, swarming the streets, were trying to get close to the players.

At the time, the Cleveland Indians baseball team had a winning record, and someone jokingly (or hopefully) posted an invitation to the World Series championship parade to be held November 3 in Cleveland. It was June. The season was just under way. The Indians hadn’t won a World Series since 1948, or appeared in the series since the 1990’s. Even though November 3 seemed so far away, I thought, why not? I laughed, then hit “accept invitation.” I was thinking this could be the year, like I’d thought every year since I was a little girl. What can I say? I’m a fan.

I read about another parade this morning in Matthew. Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey. People threw their coats in the road for Him to ride over. Others cut branches from trees and made a carpet for Him. The crowd shouted, “Hallelujah!” I think I can almost feel their excitement.

 

We know that that crowd ended up turning on Jesus only a few days later. They were celebrating Him for the wrong reasons. They wanted a King who would free them from Roman rule. They wanted Someone who would finally return them to their glory. When they heard that wasn’t happening, they rejected Him. In fact, they ended up killing Him.

Makes me realize how important it is that we follow Christ for Who He really is. I think too many people desert Him when things aren’t going their way. Like sports fans who only support a team when they win, they want God to make them feel good, secure their happiness and success, zap all their enemies. But when they realize God demands we humble ourselves and serve Him instead of being served, they bolt.

Fickle.

I know that many people are fans of the Indians (or any team) when they are playing well. Everyone wants to be on the winning side. But it’s those lean years when a team can’t buy a win, that a true fan is identified. I guess the same can be said for a true Christian. It’s that person who loves and obeys and demonstrates God’s love to others even when life isn’t fair. It’s the person who stands for the Truth of Scripture, even when it’s not politically correct. It’s the one who can say “Hallelujah” even through the tears.

I want to follow Jesus for the right reasons. He is my hero. He is my champion. He is the winner of every battle He and I face together. He alone deserves my awe, my devotion, my praise and honor. He is my Savior.

And the next time we throw a parade for Him, it will be the day He returns to take us home. We’ll meet Him in the air and follow Him to glory. Sign me up. That’s one parade I don’t want to miss.

 

June 15 – Praise

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Psalms 134, 146-150

These psalms are all about praise. And as I read them I hear the author say God is worthy of our praise. More than that, the reality of who He is demands our praise.

All nature praises God. The sun and moon, angels, water, wind, mountains, trees… He is worthy of praise because of who He is, what He has done, what He continues to do. It’s all about Him.

I am challenged to live a life of praise, by the choices I make, my resolve to obey Him, to include Him in every minute of my day, to talk to and about Him, to walk with Him. I want to see Him in the summer rain that’s pounding against my window right now. I want to hear Him in the song of birds, recognize Him in a rainbow, the hug of a child, holding the hand of an elderly person, my beating heart.

I want to be truly grateful to the One who loves me and died for me. It occurs to me that when I make praising God a priority, it doesn’t leave much room for self pity or anger.

God deserves my praise.

 

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, Praise Him! Tell of His excellent greatness. Praise Him! Praise Him ever in joyful song!

May my life be a life of praise to my Creator, my Savior.

May 24 – Steadfast Hearts of Praise

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Psalm 108-110

The friend I asked you to pray for a while back found out the cancer has spread to her lungs. She sings praises to God on her way to radiation treatments.

A 17 year old girl, who has been living with chronic pain, just had her gall bladder removed in hopes it will alleviate her pain. She faces each day with a smile on her face and praises God for His faithfulness.

A grandpa has suffered a series of stokes, yet he and his wife continue to praise God, and celebrate every hint of recovery. They trust God with this man’s life.

The psalmist says, “My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing praises, even with my soul.” (108:1)

What does it mean to have a steadfast heart toward God? To me it means praising God regardless of circumstances. It means more than giving lip-service praise, but praise from deep within my soul without a thought other than God alone.

God is worthy of our praise no matter what we are experiencing at the moment, just for the reality of Who He is. I want to praise Him with a steadfast heart.

May 21 – David’s Last Words

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2 Samuel 22-23, Psalm 57

We know David was far from perfect. In fact, he committed some sins most of us wouldn’t think about committing. David sinned. But God raised him up. David could say, at the end of his life, that God’s Word was always on his tongue.

Did you read what David said God’s view of David’s life was? He said his life “is as the light of the morning when the sun rises, a morning without clouds, when the tender grass springs out of the earth, through sunshine after rain. Truly, is not my house so with God?” (2 Samuel 23:1-7)

Now I have often thought how amazing God is to me, how He is like the morning sun in my  dark world, how He makes everything new like tender spring grass. I have enjoyed receiving blessing after blessing from my Heavenly Father.

But David turns it around and says he returns the blessing by righteous living and fear of the Lord.

By it’s very definition, a relationship is a two way street. I want my part of my relationship with God to be like a sunny day with growth, refreshing to my Lord who carries the burdens of this world on His shoulders.

May my words and actions be a source of joy to my Savior today.

May 7 – I’m Quite The Bowler

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2 Samuel 7, I Chronicles 17

Years ago I was having lunch with several co-workers in the teacher’s lounge of the school where we taught. One of our fellow teachers walked in a little late, and quietly sat on the couch instead of at the table with the rest of us. The look on her face told us her morning had not gone well.

The night before, I had read an article in our local newspaper about this woman’s husband bowling his second perfect game of the year. It was a nice article, and included a picture of him that took up almost half a page.

So I said, “That was a nice write-up in the paper about (John). He’s quite the bowler, isn’t he?”

She glared at me and replied, “I’M quite the bowler!” She gathered her things and abruptly left the lounge.

King David wanted to build a temple for God. It was a passionate desire. But God had other plans. He told David that another king, David’s son, would have that privilege instead.

What was David’s reaction? He was excited for his son. He gave thanks to God. He didn’t express a hint of jealousy or disappointment.

It’s really not human nature to sit back and let someone else get noticed for something you know you can do at least as well. Maybe you complete a project at work, and your boss takes the credit. Or you witness faithfully to your neighbor, only to have someone else pray with her to accept the Lord.

Maybe you sat first chair clarinet every year from eighth grade through college, only to have your dad tell you how talented your sister is. (Sorry, Kathy, for all those years of resentment. The truth is you ARE a talented woman. I am so proud of you, and love being your big sister.)

I think having David’s attitude is much more pleasing to God than mine or my co-worker’s attitudes were. Don’t waste time being jealous of anyone for any reason. Jealousy is a sin, and it keeps us from the joyful relationship God wants us to have with Him.

I’ve come to realize that the only praise I want to hear is God, seeing me wearing the righteousness of His Son, saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

May 6 – My Psalm

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Psalms 89, 96, 100-101, 105, 132

The psalms, which are written praises to God, often reflect on Israel’s past; how God blessed them because of His promise, and how the people often sinned in spite of God’s goodness toward them. As I read this morning, I had glimpses of events in my own past. I remembered times of blessing. And tears fell as I remembered my many sins.

I’m not a poet, and I certainly don’t consider myself a psalmist. But I want to take a moment to observe God’s hand in my own life. Here is my psalm:

O Lord, You have blessed me beyond what I deserve, beyond what I could ever imagine. You are good. You are kind, and loving, and patient, and precious. I adore You.

You blessed me from the beginning with parents who loved me, who made sacrifices so that I and my sisters could have everything we needed and more. They taught me about considering others before myself by the way they put us first. You heard my mother’s prayers and provided when it seemed hopeless. You honored her commitment to You, and lifted her up.

You never gave up on my dad, although he was quite the fighter. I praise the Hound of Heaven for continually nipping at his heels until he humbled himself and accepted Your saving grace.

How I remember the times I disappointed them, disrespected them, hurt them. Forgive me. I pray they knew how much I loved them. Thank You for the assurance that they are living with You now, and forever. I will see them both again. Hallelujah!

You blessed me with four amazing sisters. There was a lot of laughter in our home. Barbies. Freeze tag. “Hankie Down”, our pool in the backyard, swinging so high on swingsets the legs came off the ground, jumping on the trampoline, singing while we did the dishes, Sunday drives, skipping stones, riding in the bucket of Dad’s bulldozer, dancing on his flatbed. You kept us safe, O Lord, and surrounded us with love.

You blessed me in my youth with a church family who helped me grow, who challenged and encouraged me, who welcomed me, and made me laugh. Youth group, quiz team, choir. Blessings every one.

My entire family sacrificed so that I could go to college. O how I wish I could do it over. I’d be more appreciative, instead of thinking I was entitled. I’d study harder, practice more. I’d make every dollar it cost my family mean something. Forgive me, Father, for taking them for granted.

O God, I remember the idols I worshiped, the sins I committed, the times I grieved and angered You. I deserve Your wrath. I remember missed opportunities to share You with people, times I misrepresented You, times I flat out ignored You.

But You have never given up on me. The precious blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ, has covered me, cleansed me, made me pure. I see, in part, how Your hand has been evident in the events of my life, how You guided, and nudged, and closed doors while opening others. You’ve kept Your promise to never leave me nor forsake me. I am Your child, loved, and forgiven.

I praise You. I worship You. I love and honor You.

May my life be a vessel through which You are seen and glorified. You alone are worthy.

May 5 – God. Period.

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Psalms 1-2, 15, 22-24, 47, 68

These psalms remind me that God is God. There is no one like Him. He is the One who blesses His people with everything we need for this life – He blesses us with Himself!

He protects. He strengthens. He clothes us with His righteousness because we have none of our own. He died for us, paying what we cannot pay.

Yes, He is to be feared because of His holiness. But He also deserves our worship and our praise, our obedience and our love. We are blessed because GOD IS WHO HE IS!

Loving my Lord today!