Psalm 19:1 KJV — To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
God’s creation has been astounding me of late.
The very sky has been a daily reminder of the glory of God.
Psalm 8:3-5 NKJV — When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor.
Just think, God created all we can see and many more things we cannot.
Taking in the very incredible truths of scripture being testified by my surroundings, has brought me to a place of security.
Truly, the One who created all the Universe and set such delicate things in order like the water cycle, the human cell, the composition of breathable air…
How can I not worship?!
How can my finite mind not find comfort in an infinite God?
How can I allow doubt or worry?
Matthew 10:29 KJV — Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
Matthew 10:31 KJV — Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
Dear Lord Jesus,
How great is Your faithfulness! How amazing are Your works! You show us daily kindness. You provide for us in ways we do not expect. Lord Jesus, You alone are worthy of all praise, honor, and glory! Your name is great and greatly to be praised!! Amen.
Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works! Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord! Psalms 105:1-3 NKJV
I love this passage.
Not only is it the words of truth, it’s a treasured song.
Our oldest girl writes music.
This passage is the one she used for her first song.
Upon my request, she taught it to the Academy where she led worship every morning.
Now that she’s a wife and mother I don’t hear it often, but it’s still precious.
I’m still able to sing it and the praises continue.
Not just through singing a worship song, but also through the grateful heart of this Mom.
I’m thankful for the gift of worship.
I’m blessed by how God’s gift then is still giving now.
The Lord’s goodness continues to inspire my heart to praise and worship.
His wonderous works are worthy of honor and His glory is awesome.
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works! Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord! Psalms 105:2-3 NKJV
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for Your love, mercy, kindness, faithfulness, compassion, grace, truth, righteousness, patience, goodness, forgiveness, strength, joy, peace, and salvation. Thank You that we find all that is truly valuable in You. You give us life and You created us for good works, for relationship, and for bringing glory to Your name. Thank You! Thank You for paying such a high price to extend us forgiveness. Lord Jesus, words will never be able to fully describe nor define You and Who You are, but I thank You for the tiny portion my finite heart can grasp. Lord Jesus, You alone are worthy of all honor, praise, and glory. Blessed be Your holy name! Amen.
My Christmas gift this year, from the Lord, is something I never expected.
When I was young, I used to enjoy the worship at church.
As a teen, sometimes, I would hope to be able to join a worship team in the future.
In my early twenties, I realized that wasn’t a gifting God had given me and found contentment in simply praising Him to the best of my ability.
Later, I found great joy in singing and dancing with the children in kid’s church.
Children truly understand making a joyful noise to the Lord and it was wonderful to join them.
It was during this time that we began to realize our oldest daughter was gifted in worship.
I have so enjoyed watching God work in and through her.
First, it was daily, while she lead worship at school, then at church.
The Lord made His will obvious and she spent years at University, where she was able to hone her craft and learn how to teach.
Now she and her husband are in ministry and she’s enjoying leading worship again.
Throughout, my heart has found joy in worship, being so thankful for those He gifts with musical talents.
Including here in our new home with our new church.
Everyone has been so understanding, because for some reason my voice disappears completely when I’m in the church building, and often doesn’t return until much later.
Despite the loss, I have wanted to worship along with our church family, so I’ve been working on learning more Christian signs.
There are many words in hymns I’m not familiar with.
It’s been an adventure to research and find words I can use to sign along with the singing.
And through this God gave me my Christmas gift.
I’ve been asked to sign this Sunday with the worship team.
I am so thankful I didn’t miss the best gift God gave me this Christmas, by focusing on what He had taken away.
For me, it was the removal of the one thing I knew how to use in worshipping Him, my voice.
Instead, He has given me a whole new way to praise Him.
Something I never expected, a chance to worship.
Romans 8:28 KJV — And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:37 KJV — Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank You so much for Your blessings. Thank You that You work in ways I cannot see. Lord Jesus, thank You for using my inability to be an opportunity. Thank You that You normally do things in ways which don’t make sense to us. After all, no one would have expected You, the King of kings, to come as a babe in a manger. Thank You that You didn’t come to be served, but to serve, that we might take that example and live it daily. Lord Jesus, please continue to help me to serve You in spirit and in truth, without thought to personal cost, but rather with trust in Your provision and direction. Lord, please help me to wait upon You and not go charging off to “fix” things in my own strength, for that is why Peter cut off the servant’s ear. Lord, I don’t want to damage others, or myself, please help me to be wise and honorable. Thank You for all Your wondrous works, Your love and salvation. I love You, Jesus. Amen.
When our oldest was an only child we got a video camera.
I wanted to make home movies to help us catalog her growing up.
As her siblings were born, they too were caught on video.
But the recorder broke when they were still small.
I didn’t throw it away, I packed it for a future day when we’d get it fixed.
To be honest, I’d forgotten about the thing, until last night.
Handsome found it in the back of our closet.
I was uninterested, as I knew we’d drug the thing, still broken from one place to another, but I’d never gotten it fixed.
When our son came back out of the bedroom to tell me Daddy had it working I was sincerely shocked.
“But it’s been broken for over 10 years!”
“Dad has it playing. Come and see.”
All packing stopped and we spent the evening watching home movies on our recorder.
We laughed.
We cried.
It was really special.
It’s strange how the memory can forget things.
I remembered music was a big part of our everyday, but I was surprised at how many videos included music.
Of course there were the normal Christmas programs and a school program, but when we were just at home there was so many of our daughters singing and dancing to music.
My heart was so blessed by the joy on their faces and the sound of their voices.
This morning the Lord took me to:
Psalm 8:2 NKJV — Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, Because of Your enemies, That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.
And my heart is full of gratitude.
What an incredible privilege it is to praise the Lord!
What a joy it was to hear our children sing songs of praise.
How grateful I am for the opportunity we still have to praise God daily.
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank You so much for the ability to praise and worship You. Lord, thank You for Your blessings which are more numerous than the stars. Thank You for the way Your Word brings us life, truth, and love. Lord, I worship Your holy name and I thank You for the breath to be able to speak Your praises. Psalm 8:9 NKJV — O LORD, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth! Amen.
Malachi 1:11 NKJV — For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; In every place incense shall be offered to My name, And a pure offering; For My name shall be great among the nations,” Says the LORD of hosts.
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank You for Your love. Thank You for shining Your truth beyond one area of the world or one time. Thank You that You came to save the world from their sins. Thank You that we can offer the incense of praise and prayer to You all day, every day. Lord Jesus, please purify our hearts and minds that we might not sin against You. Lord, please help us to live unto You in all things, that those around us may know the truth of Your love and salvation. Lord, please open Your Word to us, help us to learn daily from it, that we might walk in Your ways, without adding or taking away from it. Lord, bring us a clear understanding of You, not filtered by our sin, not tainted by other’s, not twisted by the enemy. Please speak clearly to our hearts and minds, that we might walk in Your ways and be guided by You in all things. Lord, sometimes I struggle with fear, failure, and doubt. Sometimes I’m stubborn, bitter, and angry. Lord, in those times please help me to be obedient to Your truth. To walk in Your ways and to be self-controlled. Thank You for Your patience with me. Thank You so much for Your love. Lord, thank You for Your faithfulness, mercy, and grace. I love You, Jesus. Amen.
“The sun shall no longer be your light by day, Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; But the Lord will be to you an everlasting light, And your God your glory. Isaiah 60:19 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/isa.60.19.NKJV
For those who are followers of Jesus Christ, we need to remember this promise.
This world is not our permanent home.
The way things are now is not how they will always be.
Some day the world will change forever.
Revelation 6:1 NKJV — Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.”
Revelation tells of the Lamb opening the seals and the changes the world under goes.
It’s not a pretty picture, but in the middle is praise.
Revelation 7:9-10 NKJV — After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
Revelation 7:11-12 NKJV — All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
What better way to remember the truth of the future which awaits than by worshipping Jesus today.
Life doesn’t always bring us hearts full of gladness, but salvation should always bring us to praise.
Let us remember the promises of God and rejoice in the salvation of Jesus Christ!
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank You for salvation. Thank You for Your promise of eternal life with You. Lord, I can not even imagine what it will be like to be in Your presence, to never need the Sun or Moon again because You will shine continually. Lord, I can not contain my wonder at Your incredible blessing to us in the gift of salvation. Thank You for Your sacrifice. Thank You for Your promise of eternal life. Thank You for reminding me to praise You daily, practicing the joy of eternity right here in today. Thank You. Amen.
I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalms 34:1 NKJV
Dear Lord Jesus, Thank You so much for all You have done. Thank You for all You are doing. Lord Jesus, I praise Your holy name and worship You, for You are God. Your works, Your love, Your salvation, all that You have done is amazing. Truly, You are awesome and great is Your name. There is none like You, nor will there ever be. No one deserves honor and glory but You. You alone are worthy of all praise, all honor, all worship, all adoration. Lord Jesus, I love You. I thank You for everything. May the nations rejoice and be filled with the knowledge of You. Amen.
Sing aloud to God our strength; Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob. Raise a song and strike the timbrel, The pleasant harp with the lute. Psalms 81:1-2 NKJV
Dear Lord Jesus, Thank You for all Your wonderous ways. Lord Jesus, You are worthy of all praise, honor, and glory. To worship You is such a privilege and blessing. How great You are! Lord, may our hearts never weary of praising You. Lord, may our lives be centered upon You and our minds filled with Your Word. Lord, teach us Your Word. Let our hearts be filled with Your wisdom, Your understanding. Lord Jesus, please let our lips praise You, for Your works are wonderful. In all that we do, help us to do these things into You. To bring glory and honor to Your name. Please let us be people of praise. Thank You for Your faithfulness and unending love. Thank You for salvation! Please touch the needy, protect the innocent, return the prodigal, and save the lost. Thank You, for Your ways are perfect and Your plans are best. We love You, Jesus. Amen.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” Luke 2:13-15 NKJV
As I listened to a sermon about this section of scripture the pastor said something I’ve never heard before.
“What were the angels there for? They were protecting the newborn babe.”
My heart suddenly asked, “Is there protection in praising God?”
God used the shouts and sounds of trumpets to knock down the wall of Jericho.
Joshua 6:20 KJV — So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.
King Jehoshaphat experienced God’s protection from the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir through praise and worship.
Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. II Chronicles 20:22 NKJV
Yes, God does use worship.
In my own life I have seen how worshipping the Lord has brought me comfort and protection.
It is not uncommon for me to experience nightmares.
I’ve learned the best way to handle waking up from a disturbing dream is to praise God.
I thank Him for His goodness.
I praise Jesus for His salvation.
I tell the Lord all the things I can think of about His wonderful attributes and worship Him.
Then I go back to sleep in peace.
The same is true for when I’m struggling with fear or pain.
I worship God by listening to music which praises His holy name.
I speak to Him about all the good He has poured out on me.
I praise Him for everything I can think of.
And He drives away fear and brings me joy in the pain.
Yes, praising God is powerful, because it brings me to a place of humility.
It turns my attention to Him and it reminds me of what is really important.
The power of praise is in the heart fully submitted to Jesus Christ.
What a beautiful thing!
To worship the One Who is so worthy of praise!
Our son-in-law recently said something so true:
“Man was never made to receive worship only to give it.”
I couldn’t agree more.
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank You for teaching me about the joys and blessings of praise and worship. Thank You for holding me in Your hands and walking me forward into Your truths. Lord, You alone are worthy of all praise. Your name is great and Your way is perfect. “Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You.”* Thank You, Jesus. Amen.
Beginning with me coughing a good deal (don’t worry it’s my asthma, nothing else).
Changes in weather can have an affect on my health and it’s turned cold here.
I’d gotten up late.
I told Anne I felt like I was moving in slow motion.
God carried me through the morning and afternoon, which I was very thankful for.
But I’d really been looking forward to just resting on the couch after dinner.
Life sometimes disappoints, due to our expectations.
That’s what I was feeling.
Of course, if I’d prayed about God’s plan for my evening, I wouldn’t have been disappointed.
So, as it became more and more evident I wasn’t going to be able to rest, I found myself falling into pity, self-pity.
A short phone call was the last straw for me.
I knew what needed to happen: time-out!
I picked up my crocheting and headed to my prayer closet.
“Lord, my attitude stinks. I’m a mess.”
Let it go.
“Lord, I don’t want to. I’m tired, I feel miserable, I just wanted to rest.”
Trust Me.
“Lord, it’s that I’m afraid. If I push it, I’ll be worse tomorrow and I have so much that needs to be done. I’m just scared…”
I know.
Sometimes the spoiled child within needs a severe spanking, because they just keep screaming, “I don’t want to!”.
I was determined not to leave time-out until my heart was completely surrendered to Jesus.
“Lord, please help me. I’m really struggling with letting go.”
Praise Me.
My coughing wouldn’t allow me to sing, but I knew that wasn’t required.
I found a YouTube video which always leads my heart into worship and hit play.
The spoiled child quieted.
Fear relinquished it’s hold, unable to withstand the truth of God’s goodness.
It was exactly what I needed.
Later, when my husband got home and had eaten the supper our son had cooked, he pulled out his guitar.
He played Christmas songs and we all enjoyed it so much.
Then I got on the piano and played a few Christmas songs.
Afterwards, our son got out the Christmas decorations and my husband set up the tree.
It turned out to be a wonderful evening, far better than my selfish plans of a Jane Austen movie and crocheting.
I’m so thankful to the Lord for His mercy and patience with me and my stubborn heart.
I’m so glad He showed me what was occurring inside me and took me to time-out.
I’m so very blessed, that He showed me not only the thing I was wrestling with, but also the way to let Jesus beat it.
How great and awesome is He!
How full of compassion and love and a desire for our good!
How wonderful is His unending care and tireless polishing of the heart!
Truly:
Psalm 48:1 KJV — A Song and Psalm for the sons of Korah. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank You so much for Your patience with me. Thank You for Your love. Thank You for Your truth. Lord, it is embarrassing to see my sin, but so freeing to see how You walked me away from it. Please continue to guide and hone my heart. Lord, I don’t want to sin against You. Please help me to see the warning, before I end up needing to go into time-out, but I thank You for time-out. Lord, thank You for correcting me and not allowing me to continue in sin. Lord Jesus, please do not allow my poor behavior to harm my family, they don’t deserve it. Instead, please help me to speak words of apology and to turn away from future temptation. Thank You, Lord for saving me. Thank You for loving me. I love You. Amen.
patientlyhopeful 