I will praise Him!
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Awakening the Dawn — photo courtesy of Eric Wright
I Will Awaken the Dawn
22 Wednesday Mar 2017
Posted in Psalms
Tag Archives: faithfulness
I will bow down
26 Sunday Feb 2017
Posted in Psalms, Sunday's Psalm
I will praise Him!
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Prairie sunset near MacNutt, Saskatchewan — photo by David Kitz
I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart;
before the “gods” I will sing your praise.
I will bow down toward your holy temple
and will praise your name
for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
that it surpasses your fame.
When I called, you answered me;
you greatly emboldened me.
(Psalm 138:1-3, NIV)
All Nations
15 Thursday Dec 2016
Tags
Bible, faithfulness, fire, Jewish faith, Lamb of God, love, Old Testament, racism, shortest Psalm, tabasco sauce, the LORD
Reading: Psalm 117
Praise the LORD, all you nations;
extol him, all you peoples.
For great is his love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the LORD (NIV).
Reflection
Psalm 17 is the shortest of all the psalms. It reminds me of tabasco sauce. It’s concentrated; you don’t need much to set your mouth on fire.
Seasons change but God’s faithfulness endures forever — photo by David Kitz
What’s so great—so powerful—about Psalm 117 you ask? Well in 29 short words, it sums up the call and global appeal of the entire Bible.
Let’s consider this opening sentence: Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. This call to worship is for all people; it’s universal. The message of the Bible is for all people. It’s not limited to a single nation, race or people group.
This call for universal praise is unusual because it draws all humanity into a common faith in the LORD. The Jewish faith was and is a very exclusive religion. This is the faith of the chosen people—God’s chosen people. They did not choose Him, but rather they were uniquely selected by God to bear His name before the nations of the world. Throughout the Old Testament we have a clear sense that God was dealing with his own special people, and they were to walk separate from the nations. They received God’s laws and were the guardians of His word. They were instructed not to intermarry with other nations, nor be polluted by them and their idol worship. The worshippers of Yahweh were an exclusive group, a unique people, but they were not evangelistic. They kept the message to themselves.
But here in Psalm 117 the constricted, exclusive God of the Old Testament appears to break out of His narrow nationalist cocoon. We see that He is in reality a God for all nations, not just for the descendants of Abraham. Here we catch a glimpse of the big picture—the global perspective. All the nations of the earth are to praise Him. The longstanding intent of the God Israel is that every people group should know his ways and experience His salvation.
But why should all nations praise the LORD? The second verse of this miniature psalm provides the answer. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Where did the LORD demonstrate His great love for us? We see God’s love most vividly on the cross. There the Son of God poured out His blood to redeem men and women, boys and girls, from every nation under heaven. There love flowed down in a crimson stream. There God fulfilled His Abrahamic promise. “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son” (Genesis 22:8). There the prophecy of John the Baptist was achieved. “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).
Concentrated within the shortest Psalm is enough truth to set the world on fire.
Response: Father God, I just want to praise you. Thank you for your great love and faithfulness as revealed by Jesus on the cross. I love you, Lord Jesus. Amen.
Your Turn: Why is racism run contrary to anyone who claims to love God?
The Fountain of Life
11 Sunday Dec 2016
Posted in Psalms
Tags
abundance, faithfulness, fountain, fountain of life, justice, Orleans, Petrie Island Park, river of delights
I will praise Him!
Marsh flowers, Petrie Island Park, Orleans, ON — photo by David Kitz
Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies.
Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
your justice like the great deep.
You, LORD, preserve both people and animals.
How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!
People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house;
you give them drink from your river of delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.
(Psalm 35:5-9 NIV)
Reaching to the Heavens
29 Saturday Oct 2016
Posted in Psalms, Saturday's Psalm
Tags
faithfulness, heavens, love, mountains, Righteousness, skies, the LORD
I will praise Him!
On the shore of the Ottawa River — photo by David Kitz
Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies.
Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
your justice like the great deep.
You, LORD, preserve both people and animals.
How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!
(Psalm 36:5-7 NIV)
The Foundation of Your Throne
05 Monday Sep 2016
Tags
authority, faithfulness, God, God's throne, Grey Nuns Park, justice, love, Righteousness, the LORD
Reading: Psalm 89
Verses 14-18
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
love and faithfulness go before you.
Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
who walk in the light of your presence, LORD.
They rejoice in your name all day long;
they celebrate your righteousness.
For you are their glory and strength,
and by your favor you exalt our horn.
Indeed, our shield belongs to the LORD,
our king to the Holy One of Israel (NIV).
Reflection
Yesterday afternoon at about 4:30 my wife and I got a call from my son. He found himself in a difficult spot. He and his wife had just bought two swivel chairs. He had wrongly assumed that both would fit into the trunk of his car. Despite his best efforts the second chair would not fit. Could I come, pick up and deliver the second chair to their home?
Weeping willow, Grey Nuns Park, Orleans, ON — photo by David Kitz
My wife had a batch of homemade buns rising in the oven, so she was not available. The delivery task fell to me. So off I drove in a torrential downpour through heavy rush-hour traffic to pick up this chair. Did I resent this interruption in my schedule? Did I get all steamed up about the inconvenience? Was I upset that I was a few minutes late for dinner? No. In all seriousness, none of this bothered me because I love my son and his wife. I was glad to help. I even took a minute or two to sit in that comfy chair and appreciate their new purchase.
Today’s reading from Psalm 89 is all about a chair—a special chair. It’s called the throne of God. Unlike the rollers on the bottom of the chair that my son purchased, this chair has a foundation. It’s immovable. The psalmist makes this statement. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.
The throne of God speaks of His authority. God’s authority rests squarely on His righteousness and justice. This has always been so and will be so forever. Righteousness and justice are foundational to all authority. When authorities in this world go astray and engage in unjust and immoral behavior, we find this abhorrent. We question the legitimacy of such authorities. We say they have lost the moral authority to govern.
But God does more than just sit on His throne and govern. He moves out from that throne. Again the psalmist states, “Love and faithfulness go before you.” God is active in this world. Daily the LORD demonstrates His love and faithfulness to His people and also to those who do not call on His name. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5:45). Furthermore, our heavenly Father is eager to do these things because He loves us.
Response: Heavenly Father, you are good and kind to all. I thank you for your love and faithfulness. Today, I want to walk in the light of your presence, LORD, and rejoice in your name all day long. Amen.
Your Turn: Can you testify that on various occasions God’s love and faithfulness have gone before you?
Forever!
01 Thursday Sep 2016
Reading: Psalm 89
A maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.
I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever;
with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known
through all generations.
I will declare that your love stands firm forever,
that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.
You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant,
‘I will establish your line forever
and make your throne firm through all generations’” (NIV).
Reflection
The opening stanzas of Psalm 89 remind me of a little rhyme found in a children’s book. It goes like this:
“I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always,
as long as I’m living
my baby you’ll be.”
The lines of that little song were first sung by Robert Munsch as he held his stillborn baby in his arms. Imagine the grief he felt when for a second time his wife gave birth to another stillborn child. Again he took that little baby in his arms and he rocked it back and forth and sang,
“I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always,
as long as I’m living
my baby you’ll be.”
The bestselling children’s book Love You Forever was birthed from that heart-wrenching experience. If you are a parent or a grandparent, this little picture book should come with a warning label: Impossible to read without tearing up.
There’s an element of forever in the bond between a parent and a child. I am a father forever to my two sons, Timothy and Joshua. My love for those two boys hasn’t diminished as they have grown into young men. Though they have moved out of our home, they will be forever loved and we will be forever linked by love and faithfulness.
God’s love for us is that kind of love. It’s a forever love just as the psalmist declares. I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.
Love and faithfulness are what marriage is all about. It’s one of those forever things along with parenthood. When God is at the center, these things last forever. And I’m so glad they do.
Response: LORD God, I am so glad that I’m your child forever. You have loved me and welcomed me into your family. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you! Amen.
Your Turn: Will you sing of the LORD’s great love forever? Now is a great time to get started.
Slow to Anger
26 Friday Aug 2016
Tags
anger, anger management, compassion, faithfulness, God, grace
Reading: Psalm 86
Verses 14-17
Arrogant foes are attacking me, O God;
ruthless people are trying to kill me—
they have no regard for you.
But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,
slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
Turn to me and have mercy on me;
show your strength in behalf of your servant;
save me, because I serve you
just as my mother did.
Give me a sign of your goodness,
that my enemies may see it and be put to shame,
for you, LORD, have helped me and comforted me (NIV).
Reflection
Living or working with an angry person can be extremely difficult. You can never tell what might trigger an angry reaction. You can be going about your normal routine and suddenly something will set them off. Next thing you know you are getting the full brunt of their fury for something done in complete innocence or for which you bear no responsibility. Life is full of stress. No one likes being around someone who gives full vent to their unchecked anger.
Penguin picnic spot, Gatineau Park, QC — photo by David Kitz
Unfortunately, many Christians live their lives as though God has anger management issues. They are convinced that at any moment God may smite them for some minor misstep or indiscretion. The truth is God is far more patient and compassionate than we realize. Here in Psalm 86 David reminds us that the LORD is slow to anger. But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
If you want a short one sentence description of God, here it is. It is well worth repeating. But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
Take that sentence and memorize it, repeat it and meditate on it. This is the essence of God. He oozes compassion for the broken and hurting. The LORD is gracious. He shows favor—undeserved grace—to His people. He is slow to anger. He is more than patient with us. He knows that all too often we are slow to learn the ways of God. But despite that, He abounds in love. There is an ocean full of God’s love, when we imagine there’s only a thimble full. Finally, the LORD is faithful. He sticks with us through thick and thin. In a changing world, God and His faithfulness remain constant.
Does your picture of God need to change? It may be time to switch that picture of an angry God for a picture of the God of compassion and grace—compassion and grace for yourself and for others.
Response: LORD God, I want to see you as you are, full of compassion and grace. Help me to show compassion and mercy to others. I want to meditate on your word so that I can know you as you truly are. Amen.
Your Turn: Do you believe God is angry with you? What characteristic of God do you love most?
Loving and Faithful
01 Friday Apr 2016
Posted in Friday's Focus, Psalms
Tags
It is wonderful each morning to tell about your love and at night to announce how faithful you are (Psalm 92:2, CEV).
Your Love in the Morning – photo by Donald Adam
Reflection
This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is proclamation.
If the heavens declare the glory of God, then we should join with all creation in doing the same. If the sky has a story to tell about God’s love, then so do I. The psalmist expresses this thought with these words:
It is wonderful each morning to tell about your love and at night to announce how faithful you are (Psalm 92:2, CEV).
As the day draws to a close can you testify to the faithfulness of God? I certainly can. Each day has its set of problems and difficulties, but as the sun sets I can say the Lord has seen me through. I am sure you can say the same.
Take some time to give God the thanks and praise He deserves
Response: LORD God, thank you for being my companion through the day. Your love and faithfulness sustain me. I want to proclaim your goodness. Amen.
Your Turn: Has the Lord been loving and faithful to you?
Praise for Answered Prayer
08 Friday Jan 2016
Posted in Friday's Focus, Psalms
Tags
I praise you, Lord, for answering my prayers (Psalm 28:6, CEV).
September Iris, photo by David Kitz
Reflection
This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is praise.
If I did a quick one-question survey of Christians, here is the question I would ask:
Why do you praise God?
Here is the answer I would expect most often:
Because He answers my prayers.
Yes, we praise God because He hears and answers prayers. He has been doing it for thousands of years and He will continue to do it for eternity.
God’s faithfulness to answer our prayers calls us to praise Him.
Response: LORD God, I praise you because over and over again you have answered my prayers. You see me and listen to me. What a privilege it is to be your child. Amen.
Your Turn: Has God revealed Himself to you through answered prayer?
I love the Psalms 