'praise' Tagged Posts (Page 2)
Daily Devotions
Psalm 34:1-6 “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.” vss. 1, 3 Sometimes we have so much on our minds and are so troubled by events in our country and in the world that we forget how wonderful it is to have life and be surrounded by the presence of God. All of the most precious things in…
Daily Devotions
Philippians 4:6-9 … “Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” vs.8 Over the last few weeks, as we’ve dealt with the pandemic and the presidential election campaign, many have become despondent at the tone and the mood of social discourse. As rhetoric grows more harsh and divisions solidify it gets…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 67:1-3 … “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known upon earth, your saving power among all nations.” vss. 1-2 The psalmist makes reference to the Aaronic benediction in his hymn of praise. That brief blessing has been a favorite of God’s people from the beginning, and it continues to bring joy as we hear it in worship now. It comes at the end…
Daily Devotions: June 24, 2020
June 24, 2020 Psalm 89:1-4 … “I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord, forever; with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations.” vs. 1 Sometimes when we read the Psalms we wonder just who these Pollyanna writers must have been. We imagine that they lived in more tranquil times than ours; that they didn’t face the societal upheavals that get daily attention from our news sources. Otherwise, how could they have possibly written such optimistic…
Daily Devotions: May 19, 2020
May 19, 2020 Psalm 68:1-10 … “Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds—his name is the Lord— be exultant before him.” vs. 4 When our ancient ancestors watched the clouds roll across the sky, they sometimes imagined them as chariots of the Lord—the God of the storms who had the power to vanquish hated enemies and provide relief for the oppressed. It’s an impressive image! In all of…
Daily Devotions: November 28, 2019: THANKSGIVING
November 28, 2019 For full passage click: John 6:25-35 … “Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’” vs. 35 Thanksgiving is a holiday that seems to arise naturally out of human experience–people in nearly all countries have annual festivals to give thanks for harvest blessings. Often there will be prayers offered to God, even by those who don’t typically recognize…
Daily Devotions: November 13, 2019
November 13, 2019 For full passage click: Psalm 98:6-9 … “Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it. Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy at the presence of the Lord…” vss. 7-9a The Psalmist understood that all creation had been called into being by a word from God. So when he talks about making a joyful noise to the Lord he naturally assumes that…
Daily Devotions: November 12, 2019
November 12, 2019 For full passage click: Psalm 98:1-5 … “O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory.” vs. 1 The people of Israel regularly offered praise and thanksgiving to the Lord as they traveled to worship in the temple. Special songs were composed by the Levites and if the country had been enjoying success on the battlefield, the rituals were particularly festive.…
Daily Devotions: October 8, 2019
October 8, 2019 For full passage click: Psalm 111:1-5 … “Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.” vs. 1 The Psalmist wasn’t thanking the Lord for any answered prayer or a particular blessing that had come to him. Instead, he was reflecting on the goodness and mercy of God throughout all the generations–and he didn’t hold back! His song of thanksgiving came from the…
Daily Devotions: July 2, 2019
July 2, 2019 For full passage click: Psalm 66:1-5 …“Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise.” vs. 1-2 The psalmist was calling together a praise choir, one that could make a joyful noise to God and properly glorify God’s name. And he wasn’t just calling on human voices! He believed that all the noise of the earth could be construed as a praise song to God. When…
Daily Devotions: June 12, 2019
June 12, 2019 For full passage click: Psalm 8:1-4 A Psalm of David …“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?” vss. 3-4 If we’ve taken any time at all to reflect on our place in space and in time, we will likely resonate with what the psalmist has said. We live…
Daily Devotions: May 15, 2019
May 15, 2019 For full passage click: Psalm 148:1-6 …“Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created.” vs. 5 The psalmist knew that all things in the universe have their origin in God: stars, planets, angels, sun, moon–all things! By the word of the Lord they were created, and in the name of the Lord they offer praise and thanksgiving. Our eyes have become dulled to the connection between God and the stuff…