Tag Archives: praise

A Heavenly Prescription

06 Monday Mar 2017

Posted by in Psalm 135, Psalms

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Reading:                                       Psalm 135

(Verses 1-7)

Praise the LORD.

Praise the name of the LORD;
praise him, you servants of the LORD,
you who minister in the house of the LORD,
in the courts of the house of our God.

Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.
For the LORD has chosen Jacob to be his own,
Israel to be his treasured possession.

I know that the LORD is great,
that our Lord is greater than all gods.
The LORD does whatever pleases him,
in the heavens and on the earth,
in the seas and all their depths.
He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth;
he sends lightning with the rain
and brings out the wind from his storehouses (NIV).

Reflection

Like many of the psalms, Psalm 135 begins by calling us to worship. Specifically, this is a call to praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.

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Waterfalls at Almonte, ON — photo by David Kitz

So what is the difference between praise and worship? Worship is a broad term that expresses itself in a variety of ways. The Encarta Dictionary defines worship as “the adoration, devotion, and respect given to a deity.”

We can show devotion, adoration and respect for God in wide range of ways. We can use our bodies to express worship by bowing, kneeling, falling prostrate, or lifting our hands and faces heavenward. We read that both David and Miriam danced before the LORD as an act of worship. See 2 Samuel 6:13-15 and Exodus 15:20-21.

Praise and thanksgiving are verbal forms of worship that reflect a heart of adoration. But why do the Psalms call on us to praise God so frequently? Is the LORD a grand, heavenly egomaniac who demands our worship to satisfy His desire for recognition and importance? Hardly.

Actually, just the opposite is true. God does not need our worship. We are the egomaniacs. Praise and worship counteracts the selfishness that is at the root of our sinful nature. We desperately need to get our eyes off ourselves and onto the One who is worthy of all praise. So here is a simple but powerful prescription from your heavenly Father: Praise the LORD.

Response: Father God, I worship you. Thank you for sending Jesus to be my Savior. Holy Spirit, infuse my praise and worship with joy. You are so very good—so very kind to me. Amen.

Your Turn: What forms or expressions of worship are most meaningful to you?

We Meditate on your Unfailing Love

05 Sunday Mar 2017

Posted by in Psalms, Sunday's Psalm

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I will praise Him!

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God’s goodness in nature — photo by David Kitz

Within your temple, O God,
    we meditate on your unfailing love.
Like your name, O God,
    your praise reaches to the ends of the earth;
    your right hand is filled with righteousness.
Mount Zion rejoices,
    the villages of Judah are glad
    because of your judgments.

(Psalm 48:9-11, NIV)

Shouts of Joy

03 Friday Mar 2017

Posted by in Psalms

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I will praise Him!

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Petrie Island, glory — photo by David Kitz

Clap your hands, all you nations;
    shout to God with cries of joy.

God has ascended amid shouts of joy,
    the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets.
Sing praises to God, sing praises;
    sing praises to our King, sing praises.
 For God is the King of all the earth;
    sing to him a psalm of praise.

(Psalm 47:1, 5-7, NIV)

I will bow down

26 Sunday Feb 2017

Posted by in Psalms, Sunday's Psalm

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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)

Sing to Him a New Song

24 Friday Feb 2017

Posted by in Friday's Focus, Psalms

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I will praise Him!

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Skaters on the Rideau Canal beneath the Highway 417 bridge, Ottawa, ON, 02-18-2017, photo by David Kitz

Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous;
    it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
Praise the LORD with the harp;
    make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
Sing to him a new song;
    play skillfully, and shout for joy.

For the word of the LORD is right and true;
    he is faithful in all he does.
The LORD loves righteousness and justice;
    the earth is full of his unfailing love.

(Psalm 33:1-5, NIV)

Lift Up your Hands

22 Wednesday Feb 2017

Posted by in Psalm 134, Psalms

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Reading:                                        Psalm 134

A song of ascents.

Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD
who minister by night in the house of the LORD.
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary
and praise the LORD.

May the LORD bless you from Zion,
he who is the Maker of heaven and earth (NIV).

Reflection

This is the fifteenth and final psalm in the Songs of Ascent series. In reality, this psalm is the pilgrims’ farewell offering of worship to the LORD.  After a week or more in Jerusalem, the time has arrived for the pilgrims to return to their homes. But on the evening before they set out on the return journey, they make one last visit to Mount Zion and the great Temple of the LORD. There they lift their hands in praise to the God of Israel. Early next morning, they will begin the arduous journey back home. But for now, it’s time to bless the LORD and offer thanks.

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Skaters on the Rideau Canal, Ottawa, ON — photo by David Kitz

It is likely that the twelve-year-old Jesus sang this psalm with his parents on the final evening of their Passover pilgrimage to Jerusalem. On the following day the family departed for Nazareth where Joseph would resume his trade as a carpenter. When they left the next morning, they assumed Jesus was traveling with them in the large company of other pilgrims from their hometown. See Luke 2:41-52.

Typically, we read this account of the lost twelve-year-old Jesus from the viewpoint of a parent. We identify with the stress of losing a child in a big city. We would title this story, “Mary and Joseph find lost Jesus.” But the story reads quite differently, when we view it from the perspective of a child trying to discover who he really is. Viewed from Jesus’ perspective the title of the story might well be, “Lost Boy finds Himself” or “Lost Boy Discovers His Divinity.”

How did Jesus discover he was the son of God? Some believers might well reason that the answer is obvious. Jesus is God; therefore, he is omniscient. The all-knowing Jesus would surely know that he was God’s son. But many theologians would beg to differ. They view the humanity of Christ as all pervasive. Jesus was 100% human and as such he needed to learn and discover his identity even as any child does.

If through the incarnation Jesus fully took on humanity, then the boy Jesus needed to discover his divine identity. It may have been written into every fibre of his being, but he still needed to discover it, just as any young musical prodigy needs to explore and discover his or her gift. All divine gifts must be discovered and developed to reach their maximum potential.

How do we discover our true identity? From the account in Luke, it would appear that the boy Jesus discovered his true identity in the House of God. Perhaps it began as he lifted his hands in worship. We cannot fully discover who we are until we discover who God is. We must know our Creator to know ourselves. Self-understanding begins with knowing whose we are. You and I belong to the Father.

Response: Father God, I thank you for loving me and inviting me into your family. Lord Jesus, thank you for purchasing my redemption. Holy Spirit, I thank you for the confirmation that I am your child. Amen.

Your Turn: Do you know who you are? How is God the Father shaping your identity?

Psalms Alive!

04 Saturday Feb 2017

Posted by in Psalms, Psalms Alive!

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237 pages, trade paperback

If you enjoy my daily blog posts, you may also be blessed by reading my full length book on the Psalms.
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Within the Psalms we hear the deepest longings of the human heart. Here we find the full range of human experience – an experience that brings us face to face with God. Our joys and triumphs are reflected here. Our spirits soar to the heavens, but we also plumb the depths of tragic despair. Is it any wonder then, that throughout the ages men and women have found refuge in the Psalms.

In the Psalms we find the wellspring of praise. This has been the churches’ fount of worship, from ancient hymns, to stately concertos, to modern praise choruses, they all find their source in the Psalms.

“David Kitz paints pictures with words, taking lessons from Scripture and nature to offer us a three-dimensional, multi-sensory relationship with God.” — Robert L. Briggs, Executive Vice President, American Bible Society

To read more or purchase visit: http://www.davidkitz.ca/bookcart/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=62&search=psalms

Shout for Joy!

29 Sunday Jan 2017

Posted by in Psalm 100, Psalms, Sunday's Psalm

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I will praise Him!

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Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica, Ottawa, ON — photo by David Kitz

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
Worship the LORD with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the LORD is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his;
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.

(Psalm 100:1-5, NIV)