Read Psalms 97, 110, 118, and 139 (they are short!)
Today's Devotion -- Psalm 118 (yep, all of it!)
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;taken from www.biblegateway.com
his love endures forever.
2 Let Israel say:
"His love endures forever."
3 Let the house of Aaron say:
"His love endures forever."
4 Let those who fear the LORD say:
"His love endures forever."
5 In my anguish I cried to the LORD,
and he answered by setting me free.
6 The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
7 The LORD is with me; he is my helper.
I will look in triumph on my enemies.
8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.
10 All the nations surrounded me,
but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.
11 They surrounded me on every side,
but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.
12 They swarmed around me like bees,
but they died out as quickly as burning thorns;
in the name of the LORD I cut them off.
13 I was pushed back and about to fall,
but the LORD helped me.
14 The LORD is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
15 Shouts of joy and victory
resound in the tents of the righteous:
"The LORD's right hand has done mighty things!
16 The LORD's right hand is lifted high;
the LORD's right hand has done mighty things!"
17 I will not die but live,
and will proclaim what the LORD has done.
18 The LORD has chastened me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.
19 Open for me the gates of righteousness;
I will enter and give thanks to the LORD.
20 This is the gate of the LORD
through which the righteous may enter.
21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation.
22 The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone;
23 the LORD has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25 O LORD, save us;
O LORD, grant us success.
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.
From the house of the LORD we bless you.
27 The LORD is God,
and he has made his light shine upon us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession
up to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will give you thanks;
you are my God, and I will exalt you.
29 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever. (NIV)
I enjoy finding scripture that has been used to create worship songs. There is always a sense of 'so THAT'S where that came from'. Look back at this psalm -- how many worship song stanzas do you find? I found four, but I bet some of our musicians can find more.
I've never really enjoyed singing...to the benefit of those who might be near if I break out in song! It always frustrated me to go to a 'worship service' where worship was defined almost entirely as singing. There are a few songs that will help me focus on the greatness of God, but I often tire of the singing long before it's over. For a while I worried that maybe I wasn't grateful enough, or that maybe I was shirking in my worship duties.
Over time I realized that there are lots of ways to worship...some involve music and others involve silence. Worshipping is just giving praise and deep respect to God. We can do that in many ways -- by admiring his handiwork, by creating things that glorify him (paintings, photos, drama, stories), and by doing whatever you do to the best of your ability as a reflection to him. Even housecleaning can be a time for worship if you approach it with the right attitude! Yesterday was an amazing opportunity for me to worship God as I planted in the garden -- it gave me a lot of time to think about his creation and how the first job he gave us as humans was to maintain Eden.
It isn't as important how we choose to worship, but that we find a way daily to demonstrate our love and appreciation for God. How do you worship best?
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