Tag Archives: praise

Jesus’ Suffering and our Suffering

05 Wednesday Dec 2018

Posted by in Bible, Devotionals, Psalm 22, Psalms

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Reading: Psalm 22
(Verses 22-26)
I will declare your name to my people;
in the assembly I will praise you.
You who fear the LORD, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
For he has not despised or scorned
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.
From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows.
 The poor will eat and be satisfied;
those who seek the LORD will praise him—
may your hearts live forever! (NIV)

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You who fear the LORD, praise him! — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
In this ongoing discussion of Psalm 22 we hit a critical turning point with yesterday’s scripture reading. The humiliated, pierced and tortured Christ prays, “But you, LORD, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me. Deliver me from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs. Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen” (Psalm 22:19-21).

God the Father answered the prayer of his suffering Son, not immediately, but three days later Jesus arose from the dead. Now he reigns triumphant over death, hell and the grave. The opening words recorded here are the resurrected Christ’s song of triumph: I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you. You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!

And why should we praise the LORD? Here is the answer: For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. 

In the context of this psalm, Christ is the afflict one. The prophet Isaiah declares, “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

Yes, praise Him! We have a Savior who can fully identify with every aspect of our humanity because he was fully human. He suffered just as we suffer and in his body he experience severe loss and pain. God incarnate knows all about the human condition because He lived as a human. But in all this Jesus is the victor. May your hearts live forever because of Jesus Christ who conquered death and lives now and forever.

Response: Father, thank you for victory over death, hell and the grave through your Son Jesus. By faith his victory becomes my victory. Hallelujah! I praise you my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Your Turn: Does the knowledge of Christ’s suffering help you in times of personal pain or loss?

Declaring to a People yet Unborn

25 Sunday Nov 2018

Posted by in Bible, Psalm 22, Psalms

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I will praise Him!

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Light of my life shine on me — photo courtesy of Roger Sabbagh

All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
    all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
    those who cannot keep themselves alive.
Posterity will serve him;
    future generations will be told about the Lord.
They will proclaim his righteousness,
    declaring to a people yet unborn:
    He has done it!

(Psalm 22:25-28, NIV)

Dominion Belongs to the LORD

24 Saturday Nov 2018

Posted by in Bible, Psalm 22, Psalms

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I will praise Him!

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Lake Louise — photo by David Kitz

From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
    before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows.
The poor will eat and be satisfied;
    those who seek the LORD will praise him—
    may your hearts live forever!

All the ends of the earth
    will remember and turn to the LORD,
and all the families of the nations
    will bow down before him,
for dominion belongs to the LORD
    and he rules over the nations.

(Psalm 22:25-28, NIV)

Praise be to my Rock!

21 Wednesday Nov 2018

Posted by in Bible, Devotionals, Psalm 18, Psalms

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Reading: Psalm 18
(Verses 46-50)
The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted be God my Savior!
He is the God who avenges me,
who subdues nations under me,
who saves me from my enemies.
You exalted me above my foes;
from a violent man you rescued me.
Therefore I will praise you, LORD, among the nations;
I will sing the praises of your name.
He gives his king great victories;
he shows unfailing love to his anointed,
to David and to his descendants forever (NIV).

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Old Orchard Beach, Maine — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
The joyful exuberance of the opening lines of this final reading from Psalm 18 is well worth reflecting upon. David exults, “The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!”

To my thinking, there’s nothing quite as dead as a rock. But here in the same breath, David praises the living LORD, his Rock and his Savior. Living rock seems to be a contradiction in terms, but our God is very much alive. He was alive and active in David’s life, and He is alive and active in your life as well—as active and alive as you allow Him to be.

But the LORD also wants to be the Rock of stability in your life—the solid foundation from which you draw strength. A life anchored in God can withstand the storms of adversity and the test of time. The LORD is that stalwart mainstay that actively trains us for eternity.

Most importantly, our LORD saves. He saved David from all of his troubles. It was God’s intervention in David’s life that brought him the victory time after time. God was not content to sit in heaven and cheer from the sidelines. The LORD got involved in David’s life. He responded repeatedly to David’s cries for mercy and help.

If David had ample reasons to praise God and be thankful, we who live on this side of the cross, under the new covenant, have far more grounds for praise. God intervened directly for us. We have a Savior in Jesus, who left his throne in glory. He put His own skin in the game. The Father sent His one and only Son to live as a man, and then suffer and die on our behalf. And Jesus did not remain dead. God the Father raised him from the dead. Now with David we can say, “The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!”

Response: Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus. Thank you for his life, his death and his resurrection. I love you, Lord Jesus. You are the living Rock on which I can build my life. Through you I am more than a conqueror. Holy Spirit help me live this day in praise of my Savior. Amen.

Your Turn: Is the LORD your living Rock? Has He been your help? Has Jesus become your Savior? How will you honor Him today?

I Will Declare Your Name

18 Sunday Nov 2018

Posted by in Bible, Psalm 22, Psalms

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I will praise Him!

Booth Lake, Algonkuin Liz Kranz

Booth Lake, Algonquin Park, photo courtesy of Liz Kranz

I will declare your name to my people;
    in the assembly I will praise you.
You who fear the LORD, praise him!
    All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
    Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
For he has not despised or scorned
    the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
    but has listened to his cry for help.

(Psalm 22:22-24, NIV)

Enthroned as the Holy One

17 Saturday Nov 2018

Posted by in Bible, God's word, Psalm 22, Psalms

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I will praise Him!

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The Bow River in Banff National Park — photo by David Kitz

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Doe of the Morning.”
A psalm of David.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
    Why are you so far from saving me,
    so far from my cries of anguish?
My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
    by night, but I find no rest.

Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
    you are the one Israel praises.
In you our ancestors put their trust;
    they trusted and you delivered them.
To you they cried out and were saved;
    in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

(Psalm 22:1-5, NIV)

Great Joy in the Victories You Give

11 Sunday Nov 2018

Posted by in Bible, Psalm 21, Psalms

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I will praise Him!

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Great peace have those who love your law — photo by David Kitz

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

The king rejoices in your strength, LORD.
    How great is his joy in the victories you give!

You have granted him his heart’s desire
    and have not withheld the request of his lips.
You came to greet him with rich blessings
    and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.
He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—
    length of days, for ever and ever.
Through the victories you gave, his glory is great;
    you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.
Surely you have granted him unending blessings
    and made him glad with the joy of your presence.
For the king trusts in the LORD;
    through the unfailing love of the Most High
    he will not be shaken.

(Psalm 21:1-7, NIV)

Victory for His Anointed

10 Saturday Nov 2018

Posted by in Bible, Psalm 20, Psalms

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I will praise Him!

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Green’s Creek, Ottawa, ON — photo by David Kitz

Now this I know:
    The LORD gives victory to his anointed.
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
    with the victorious power of his right hand.
Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
    but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
They are brought to their knees and fall,
    but we rise up and stand firm.
LORD, give victory to the king!
    Answer us when we call!

(Psalm 20:6-9, NIV)

Give Light to my Eyes

05 Monday Nov 2018

Posted by in Bible, Devotionals, Psalm 13, Psalms

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Reading: Psalm 13
 For the director of music. A psalm of David.
How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
Look on me and answer, LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing the LORD’s praise,
for he has been good to me (NIV).

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Curves on the road of life — Gatineau Park, Quebec — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
Have you hit a low point in your life? Are you facing a personal downturn when nothing seems to go right? Problems may arise whether it’s in your career, your finances, your family, or your relations with others. Often difficulty in one area leads to difficulty in other aspects of life. It may seem that circumstances are conspiring to bring you down. Are you caught in a downward spiral?

David begins this psalm in such a state. His life and career appear to be in a death spiral. He pleads with God, “Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall.”

We can learn a lot from David’s response to hard times. First he brought his problems before God. He poured out his frustration, and in desperation he called out to the LORD for help. He didn’t pretend everything was fine, when clearly they were not. Application: Call out to God in times of trouble.

Secondly, David asked for the light of God to shine into his situation. “Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death…” When we are going through a dark time often we can’t see our way out. Many times the solution is right in front of our eyes, but we can’t see it. We need God to illumine our path. There is a way forward. We need Him to show us. Application: Open your eyes to God’s solution.

Finally, David trusted in the unfailing love of God. He rejoiced in God’s salvation. God is in the rescue business. The solution had yet to arrive, but in advance David sang his praise to God. David reflected on the goodness of God. The LORD had been good and faithful in the past. David knew that God would show him His goodness once again. Application: Trust and praise God in advance.

Response: LORD God, thank you that I can call out to you in times of trouble. Show me the way forward. Open my eyes to the help you are providing and will provide. I trust and thank and praise you in advance. Amen.

Your Turn: Has God rescued you in difficult times in the past? Trust Him to do the same now and in the future.