Tag Archives: praising God

He Brings One Down—He Exalts Another

19 Sunday Sep 2021

Posted by in Psalm 75

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I will praise the LORD!

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Down the old dirt road — photo by David Kitz

(Psalm 75:6-10, NIV)*

No one from the east or the west
    or from the desert can exalt themselves.
It is God who judges:
    He brings one down, he exalts another.
In the hand of the LORD is a cup
    full of foaming wine mixed with spices;
he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth
    drink it down to its very dregs.
As for me, I will declare this forever;
    I will sing praise to the God of Jacob,
who says, “I will cut off the horns of all the wicked,
    but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.”

* New International Version, Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

Volume III of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer by award-winning author David Kitz is available now. For a closer look at Volumes I and II click here.

My Living Rock

17 Friday Sep 2021

Posted by in Psalm 18, Psalms

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Reading: Psalm 18:46-50
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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A tree growing around a giant rock, Gatineau Park, QC — 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? How has He been your help? Has Jesus become your Savior? How will you honor Him today?

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Volume III of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer by award-winning author David Kitz is available now. Journey through the Psalms in a year. For a closer look at Volumes I and II click here.

When I Am Old

29 Sunday Aug 2021

Posted by in Psalm 71

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I will praise the LORD!

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Trail-side wild flowers — photo by David Kitz

(Psalm 71:9-14, NIV)*

Do not cast me away when I am old;
    do not forsake me when my strength is gone.
For my enemies speak against me;
    those who wait to kill me conspire together.
They say, “God has forsaken him;
    pursue him and seize him,
    for no one will rescue him.”
Do not be far from me, my God;
    come quickly, God, to help me.
May my accusers perish in shame;
    may those who want to harm me
    be covered with scorn and disgrace.
As for me, I will always have hope;
    I will praise you more and more.

* New International Version, Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

Volume III of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer by award-winning author David Kitz is available now. For a closer look at Volumes I and II click here.

Never Forsaken

23 Monday Aug 2021

Posted by in Psalm 9

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Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.
Psalm 9_10

Reading: Psalm 9:1-10

I praise you, LORD and I seek you.
Along with David,
I can say you have upheld me in difficult times.
Be the master within me.
I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing the praises of your name,
O Most High.
Amen.

Volume III of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer by award-winning author David Kitz is available now. For a closer look at Volumes I and II click here. Journey through the Psalms in a year.

Your Redemptive Presence

05 Thursday Aug 2021

Posted by in Psalm 150

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Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.
Psalm 150 the breath of God in us—

Reading: Psalm 150

LORD God,
I praise you. You are my strength and my song.
Help me to discover new ways to praise you
because you are good.
Let my entire life reflect your redemptive presence in me.
Amen.

Volume III of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer by award-winning author David Kitz is available now. For a closer look at Volumes I and II click here. Journey through the Psalms in a year.

Losing My Self-Consciousness

03 Tuesday Aug 2021

Posted by in Psalm 149

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Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.
Psalm 149_1

Reading: Psalm 149:1-5

LORD God,
renew in me a heart of praise.
I want to lose my self-consciousness as I praise you.
This is all about you.
True worship is not about me.
I want to praise you with my whole being.
Amen.

Volume III of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer by award-winning author David Kitz is available now. For a closer look at Volumes I and II click here. Journey through the Psalms in a year.

Praise God in the Great Congregation

01 Sunday Aug 2021

Posted by in Psalm 68

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I will praise the LORD!

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A procession of wild flowers — photo by David Kitz

(Psalm 68:24-27, NIV)*

Your procession, God, has come into view,
    the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.
In front are the singers, after them the musicians;
    with them are the young women playing the timbrels.
Praise God in the great congregation;
    praise the LORD in the assembly of Israel.
There is the little tribe of Benjamin, leading them,
    there the great throng of Judah’s princes,
    and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.

* New International Version, Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

Volume III of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer by award-winning author David Kitz is available now. For a closer look at Volumes I and II click here.

Bringing Heaven to Earth

30 Friday Jul 2021

Posted by in Psalm 148, Psalms

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Reading: Psalm 148:7-12
Praise the LORD from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,
lightning and hail, snow and clouds,
stormy winds that do his bidding,
you mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,
wild animals and all cattle,
small creatures and flying birds,
kings of the earth and all nations,
you princes and all rulers on earth,
young men and women,
old men and children (NIV).*

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Evening calm — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
Psalm 148 began with a call for praise for the LORD from the angels, who are heaven’s messengers, from the heavenly hosts and all the heavenly bodies. In today’s reading, the psalmist expands this call for praise to all the creatures of the earth, the elements of nature, wind, cloud and ocean depths, and finally to all humanity.

There is a logical progression in this call for thunderous praise. The call begins with what is distant, the galaxies and the heavenly beings, and then it descends to the earth, and finally it touches humanity. It becomes personal. We are called to praise God. Will you join the swelling chorus?

John, the beloved, gives us a picture of what heaven’s praise party looks like.

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” (Revelation 5:11-12).

Our Lord taught us to pray, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9b-10).

Surely, it is the will of God that He be praised and worshipped on earth just as He is around His throne in heaven. The purpose of God’s Kingdom—the Kingdom that Jesus came to establish—is to bring heaven to earth. God did not remain distant. In the person of Jesus, He came to dwell among us. He brought and is presently bringing the will of God to the earth through the Holy Spirit. For that Jesus is to be praised. Let all of creation praise Him—praise Him from the earth, because from it we were formed. As we look forward to his return, let the praise for our Lord ascend from you and me.

Response: LORD God, let your Holy Spirit be active among us. Help us to love and serve you and those around us. Help me to bring a little bit of heaven—a little bit of your will to the earth today. Amen.

Your Turn: How do you picture heaven? What does a little bit of heaven on earth look like to you?

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Volume III of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer by award-winning author David Kitz is available now. Journey through the Psalms in a year. For a closer look at Volumes I and II click here.

Constant Praise

29 Thursday Jul 2021

Posted by in Psalm 148

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Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.
Psalm 1483-4

Reading: Psalm 148:1-6

LORD God,
give me a heart that is eager to praise you—
even in hard times—
especially in hard times.
Your constant care for us does not change.
Let my praise for you be just as constant.
Amen.

Volume III of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer by award-winning author David Kitz is available now. For a closer look at Volumes I and II click here. Journey through the Psalms in a year.

Praise Him, All His Angels

29 Thursday Jul 2021

Posted by in Psalm 148, Psalms

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Reading: Psalm 148:1-6
Praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights above.
Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his heavenly hosts.
Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, you highest heavens
and you waters above the skies.
Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for at his command they were created,
and he established them for ever and ever—
he issued a decree that will never pass away (NIV).*

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Petrie Island sunset — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
As we draw to the end of the Book of Psalms, we are slowly building to a crescendo. It’s a crescendo of praise for the LORD. Today’s reading from Psalm 148 represents another stepping stone in that rising crescendo of praise.

The word praise appears nine times in this six-verse portion of the psalm. The psalmist repeatedly calls for all of creation to praise the LORD—to praise him. In today’s reading the call to praise is focused on the heavenly realm. You would think that the angels and the heavenly hosts would need no reminder to praise the LORD, but nevertheless the psalmist calls on them to praise their Creator. Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly hosts. Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars.

If the angels need a praise prompter, then I know I certainly do. There are days when I have a greater tendency to complain than to praise. If I am feeling a bit out of sorts or experiencing discomfort, it doesn’t take much to trip me into full-blown, grumble mode with a side order of self-pity tacked on for good measure. Praise for the LORD is a distant thought or a faint memory.

But has God changed? Has His mercy been diminished because I have a grumbly tummy or a kink in my neck? Of course not. The LORD is constantly worthy of praise—even in hard times—especially in hard times. In hard times I need to change my focus. I need to lift up my eyes to the heavens. I need to see the big picture rather than be caught up in the trifling details of my life. God is still on His throne even if I burn the toast or spill that glass of milk. Praise has greater significance at such times because it springs from a troubled heart that has shifted to become a thankful overcoming heart.

In the midst of his great suffering, Job made this declaration about his faithfulness to the LORD, “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him” (Job 13:15a). Will that be your testimony? In all these things, the LORD, our great Creator, remains steadfast and worthy of praise.

Response: LORD God, give me a heart that is eager to praise you—even in hard times—especially in hard times. Your constant care for us does not change. Let my praise for you be just as constant. Amen.

Your Turn: Do you have a greater tendency to grumble or praise? Can you change that tendency?

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Volume III of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer by award-winning author David Kitz is available now. For a closer look at Volumes I and II click here. Journey through the Psalms in a year.