The Everyday Prayer

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 113:1-9  (day three)

⁵ Who is like the Lord our God,
who is seated on high,
⁶ who looks far down
on the heavens and the earth? (vv. 5-6, ESV)

This Psalm reminds us that the Lord our God takes a vested interest in the happenings of this world. While He is seated on His heavenly throne, He is not sitting back simply ignoring the things He has created. He is taking part in and watching over that which He made. His involvement is much more than just watching. He lifts up the poor and needy, brings comfort, provides, protects, guards, blesses, makes new ways where there are not ways, performs miracles, maintains His Creation, and so much more. This list could be exhaustive, and we will have all of eternity to praise and thank Him for these things and so much more!

Our God is a hands-on, caring God and there is no other like Him. I hope that brings you joy this week. How have you seen Him taking an active role or part in your life? He is there! Take time today to take note of God being active in your life and praise Him all the more for it!

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 113:1-9 (day two)

 From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the Lord is to be praised. v. 3

Last week we looked at the mandate to sing, to worship, to praise the Lord. No one is exempt; we are all created to worship the Lord. This week’s passage makes it seem like we get to do nothing else. Even for a musician like me, that seems like a daunting task. What can this possibly mean? Are we supposed to sit in church singing all day every day? I would love to say the answer to that is yes; however, I think it is much more than just singing. How we live our lives is a reflection of our love, devotion, and worship of God. We are to consider every moment as an opportunity to reflect the nature of our creator to the world. That is no less a daunting task than sitting and singing all day, but it certainly gets us out of the pew! A friend recently sent me this passage from Brother Lawrence that I think applies to our reading of Psalm 113:

Simply living and moving in His presence is an acceptable sacrifice.
There is nowhere He is not, no darkness He has not already sounded, nowhere I can go outside His presence.
I may simply live there, be there… and if I don’t know what to say, I can turn the dirt of my garden, I can breathe in and out, I can make breakfast.

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 96:1-13 (day seven)

For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.

Splendor and majesty are before Him,
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. Psalm 96:5-6

Sometimes the English language doesn’t fully capture the richness found in Scripture. Especially as we read poetry. The word for idols (elilim) is a play on the word for gods (elohim). Elilim actually translates most closely to “nothing.” What people call “gods” are, in reality, nothing at all. You can try to compare them to God, but they pale in comparison to the splendor and majesty of the Creator of the Universe!

We might not think that we create idols because we don’t have graven images in our households, but the gods of the peoples of today are just as prevalent and dangerous. We worship with our time, energy, and money. If we were to follow the trail of those things in your life, would it lead us to God or would it lead us to something else? Work, family, hobbies, comfort, success, possessions? These are the idols of today. Wait, those can be good things, can’t they?

Strength and beauty are the characteristics of the things found in the presence of God. When God is the center of our worship, we find strength and beauty in those good things, but when those “good” things become the center of our worship, we become drained and burnt out because our energy has been spent doing nothing.

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 96:1-13 (day six)

It’s possible to know something deeply… and still need to see it again.

That’s what struck me recently while in Scotland—walking through old church buildings, standing in places where Christians once worshiped centuries ago, and in some places where they still do. Hearing familiar truths in unfamiliar settings. What surprised me wasn’t how old it all felt… but how the good news of God’s Kingdom felt so alive. Not new information, or a new experience, but renewed clarity.

Scripture calls this a “new song.”

Not a new message, but a renewed awareness of what God has done. Again and again, the Psalms call God’s people to sing; not because God has changed, but because His mercies are received afresh. “Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning” (Lamentations 3:23).

We are people who forget. We grow dull to what is most wonderful. But the answer is not novelty, but renewal. Seeing again. Receiving again.

And when we do, we begin to realize that salvation is bigger than we thought. Not just forgiveness, but restoration. Not just for us, but for all things.

When grace becomes visible again, the old song… becomes new.

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 96:1-13 (day five) Isn’t it interesting that the Psalmist directs the readers to sing?  Not write a poem. Not draw a picture. Not make a resolution or commitment. Not journal. (Let me pause and say these are all good and healthy ways to discover, process and apply, any revelation that God gives to us. God has used all these and many more means to help me grow closer and strengthen my relationship with Him.)  In this case, just sing. Singing is different. There is a recalibration, affection, and intensity found in singing. There is something about verbally hearing truths, praise, and feelings pour out of our mouths and bodies. There is an audible component found in our singing that is distinctive to us. Our voice. Our conviction. Our testimony. Our sound. Our experience. Our faith. Our memories. Our priorities. Our observations. Our personal expression. That’s why this kind of song is a “New Song”- it is unique to each one of us. Will you look, listen, read, and ponder God’s Glory?  Then with your own voice and from your own experience, will you sing?  Out loud?  Just for you and the Lord to hear.
It will echo the experience of Carl Boberg- his reaction and response to God’s glory and creation… “Then sings my soul,”

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 96:1-13 (day four)

Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns;
Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved;
He will judge the peoples with equity.”

Occasionally, I start to feel nervous or even panicked at the state of the world. There is so much injustice and uncertainty; the news alerts us to tragedies and the corrupt whims of politicians every day. It starts to feel overwhelming, but then I remember that the God I worship created the world and is sovereign over it. The God I talk to every day – the one who knows my fears and shame, the one who knows the number of hairs on my head, is the one who established the world and his church. What the Lord has firmly established, the gates of hell cannot prevail against.

This is one of the many things we have to celebrate – at the end of the day, the Lord reigns. No matter how bad things seem, the earth will not be moved because the Lord is sovereign over it. We serve a righteous judge who is coming again to set all things right. When we worship, we remember that it is our God who holds all the power in heaven and earth, and we celebrate his goodness and sovereignty.

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 96:1-13 (day three)

² Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day. (ESV)

When we read this Psalm as a directive for all nations to sing and worship the Lord, we understand the significance of verse two a little more. Here, David is reminding all peoples to sing of the salvation that comes from the Lord (not just Israel). Our praise and worship should start with a thankful expression of the salvation that God has given to all people. David is highlighting the Gospel here in the Old Testament!

I’ve heard Pastor Byron remind us all many times before that the best way for us to share the good news of Jesus is to tell of the difference that Jesus has made in our lives. How are you different because of Jesus? What muck and junk has Jesus saved you from? What has salvation meant to you as a follower of Christ? These answers are what we praise Him for! We worship and praise God because He gave His Son for us so we could be with Him, even though we do not deserve it.

There is somebody out there today that needs to hear your salvation story. They need to hear how God has rescued you from the pit of destruction and has given you new life. Bless the Lord’s name today and every day because of the salvation you have been given, and tell of His salvation as often as you can!

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 96:1-13 (day two) 

Sing to the Lord a new song;
Sing to the Lord, all the earth. v. 1

Well, this may come as a shock to you, but I love this psalm! Notice the qualifications for singing listed in this first verse. College degree in music, in the choir, can read music, good soloist, can hit the high notes, has a good voice, knows the song

NOPE

All these reasons (read excuses) I hear on a regular basis. There is a cultural bias that continues in our churches that suggests some can sing and some cannot. Let’s face it, some people are better singers than others. That is a fact. There, however, is not a hierarchy in worship of who can and who cannot participate in praise. This psalm and others declare the only qualification necessary is breath in your lungs. You are alive, therefore you must sing. This isn’t a suggestion, it’s not a talent show, it is a mandate from the Lord. This is one of the ways we were created to glorify our creator. My hope and prayer is that we can continue to support an attitude of worship that encourages abandon. Just sing.