Sacrifice of praise

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Hebrews 11-13; Psalm 30

TO CHEW ON: "Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name." Hebrews 13:15


Not only does the writer of Hebrews challenge us to continuous contentment (Hebrews 13:5,6) but to an even more radical habit. He suggests we live lives of continuous praise.

The phrase "sacrifice of praise" snags my attention. How is our praise a sacrifice? A sidebar article in my Bible gives this insight:

"The word 'sacrifice' (Greek thusia) comes from the root thuo, a verb meaning "to kill or slaughter for a purpose." Praise often requires that we 'kill' our pride, fear, or sloth—anything that threatens to diminish or interfere with our worship of the Lord" Guy P. Duffield, Hebrews commenter, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1746.

I look with chagrin at the trivialities that can quench my praise: the weather, problems with my stuff, a headache, a stressful schedule... Yes, praising God in and through the above will need a sacrifice on my part, though a tiny one. Perhaps those little irritants are meant as rehearsal for the big problems that will inevitably come along—terminal illness, catastrophe, death—so I can be praising through those things as well.

Of course our praise isn't a Pollyanna-ish refusal to look at life realistically. It is based on our thankfulness to God who, in Jesus, stepped into time and space. He sacrificed everything for me so that my eternal destiny is sure, no matter what my circumstances here on earth.

Our Bible commenter again:

"Praise will never be successfully hindered when we keep its focus on Him."

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, help me today to sacrifice any and all thoughts of discontent, irritation, worry, fear … substituting them with the fruit  (thoughts and words) of praise. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 30

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The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. - Used with permission.

The power of a list

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Chronicles 1-10;  Psalm 65

TO CHEW ON:"Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion;
And to You the vow shall be performed." Psalm 65:1


Do you make lists?

I do — lists to remind me of what needs to be done, to organize my thoughts, help me with shopping, pack without forgetting anything, keep me on track when I give a talk or speech ...

Psalm 65 is David's list of praise and thankfulness to God. He praises God for:
1. Hearing and answering prayers (Psalm 65:2).
2. Providing atonement / forgiveness for sin (Psalm 65:3).
3. Choosing people to come near to Him (Psalm 65:4).
4. Being approachable (Psalm 65:4).
5. The temple (Psalm 65:4).
6. The joy and satisfaction of living in God's presence (Psalm 65:4).
7. The way God inspires confidence (implied is the need to remember ways God has come through for them in the past) (Psalm 65:5).
8. God's power as illustrated in nature — the grandeur of mountains, God's ability to calm physical and people storms (Psalm 65:6-7).
9. That He is visible and available to all on earth (Psalm 65:8).
10. The reliability of day and night (Psalm 65:8).
11. God's nourishment of the earth with rain (Psalm 65:9-10)
12. An abundant harvest (Psalm 65:11-12).
13. The beauty of a pastoral scene (vs. 13).

David's list is a good example of one way we can set the tone of the day by focusing on God's gifts to us. Instead of dwelling on what's wrong with life, what we dread, fear or regret, let's focus on the good stuff.


PRAYER: Dear God, I'm sorry for my frequent lapses into worry and ungratefulness. Today I choose to think about You and reflect on the things for which I can praise and thank You. Amen

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 65

The Bible Project VIDEO: 1 & 2 Chronicles (Read Scripture Series)



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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Loudest praise

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Kings 4-7; Psalm 95

TO CHEW ON: "O come let us sing to the Lord!

Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation

Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving

Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms." Psalm 95:1-2

When were you last at a sporting event or concert where you restrained yourself from shouting? Probably not for a while.

"If we can shout at other public events, surely we can give loud and enthusiastic praise to God when with His people," says Dick Iverson, in a footnote to Psalm 95 (New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 770).

According to the psalmist, we come into God's presence with thanksgiving. [It is the word todah  derived from the verb yadah: 'To give thanks, praise.' The root of yadah is yad - "hand.] "Thus to thank or praise God is to lift or extend one's hands in thanks to Him" - New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 760.

The psalm-writer tells why we would do that - "For (or because):

• God is superior - "The King above all gods."

• God is creator and holds in His hands every segment of creation. Whether the day ahead involves activity in the earth's depths, or the mountains, on the water or anywhere on land, God is present and directs destinies in all those places.

• God is "our God." Even though He is the great creator, He also sees and knows us as personally as a shepherd knows the members of his flock.

If you're like me just transporting yourself to church doesn't eliminate the preoccupations that fill the mind and drown out those songs of thanksgiving and shouts of praise. Let's join the writer of the old hymn and ask God to "tune my heart to sing Thy grace" by ordering our thoughts along the lines of this psalm. And then let's enter in wholeheartedly, joyfully, thankfully, and physically with "...songs of loudest praise."

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for inspiring Bible psalmists to turn our eyes toward You with reminders of Your greatness and personal care. Help me to worship You today with enthusiastic songs and shouts of praise. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 95



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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Times and reasons to celebrate

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Deuteronomy 15-16; Psalm 58


TO CHEW ON: "You shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite who is within your gates, the stranger, and the fatherless and the widow who are among you, at the place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide." Deuteronomy 16:11.

Moses reminded the Israelites of three yearly feasts in Deuteronomy 16:

• the Feast of Passover.

• the Feast of Pentecost (here called Feast of Weeks, i.e. seven weeks = 7 x 7 = 49 days + the next [feast] day = 50 days).

• the Feast of Tabernacles.

As described here, the Feast of Pentecost was an annual harvest festival. It was also called Feast of Harvest - Exodus 23:16, the Day of Firstfruits - Numbers 28:26, and Pentecost in Leviticus 23:16. (Pentecost is based on the Greek translation of fifty days.)

Viewed as a whole, God instituted these feasts to help the Israelites remember their history with Him. Through them they recalled their time of slavery in Egypt, God's miraculous deliverance, their 40-year sojourn in the wilderness in tents, and the fact that God was the source of their blessing.

It's a good thing for us too, to regularly remind ourselves of these things and rejoice, like people did in the Old Testament. Matthew Henry says:

"Never should a believer forget his low estate of guilt and misery, his deliverance, and the price it cost the Redeemer; that gratitude and joy in the Lord may be mingled with sorrow for sin, and patience under the tribulations in his way to the kingdom of heaven. They must rejoice in their receivings from God, and in their returns of service and sacrifice to him; our duty must be our delight, as well as our enjoyment. If those who were under the law must rejoice before God, much more we that are under the grace of the gospel; which makes it our duty to rejoice evermore, to rejoice in the Lord always" - Matthew Henry, Commentary on Deuteronomy 16.

We can celebrate:

• Our unique story of freedom from 'slavery' and our salvation, whether it occurred when we were youngsters or later.

• How God has blessed us in the meantime with family, a home, the family of God.

• How God has seen us through wilderness experiences (death of loved ones, times of sickness like cancer or depression, financial straits, unemployment...).

• How God continues to provide for us through the produce of our own gardens, or the salary from our workplace, or our pensions if we are retired.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the Israelite example of regular, repeating celebrations that helped them review their history with You. Help me to remember in a similar way, and weave an attitude of rejoicing and thanksgiving into the fabric of my life. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 58

The Bible Project VIDEO: NEPHESH: Soul (Shema word study series)



Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Beyond a buddy God

 "Psalm 50 - The Lord Summons the Earth" by Moshe Tzvi HaLevi Berger

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Numbers 31-32; Psalm 50

TO CHEW ON: "You sit and speak against your brother;
You slander your own mother's son.
These things you have done, and I kept silent;
You thought that I was altogether like you;
but I will rebuke you,
And set them in order before your eyes" - 50:20,21

We put ourselves in danger of making some of the most serious errors about God when we think of Him as being just like us.

How could a God who is all-loving and all-powerful allow evil, we ask,  and manufacture a God who is either not all-powerful or not love.

How can a God who tells us to be humble, demand that we praise Him, we wonder, and manufacture a God who is all ego or so meek and mild as to be of no consequence.

In Psalm 50, Asaph challenges the misconception that God is altogether like us. He points out that:
- God is the creator (Psalm 50:1,2).
- God's presence is mysterious and awe-inspiring (Psalm 50:3).
- He is an altogether capable, righteous judge (Psalm 50:4-6).
- He doesn't need us or our possessions (Psalm 50:7-13).
- Rather, we need Him (Psalm 50:14-15).
- His silence and lack of reaction to our rebellion don't mean that He doesn't see or care (Psalm 50:16-21).

Our human minds and imaginations, limited as they are by time and space, find it hard to conceive of a God who encompasses all the descriptions of Him in the Bible. There comes a time when we need to throw up the hands of our human understanding and opt for a different response. It is a response of faith. It expresses itself in an attitude of praise,  thanksgiving, and compliance to the rules and principles-of-living given to us by this God who is beyond our understanding. It's how Asaph responds in verse Psalm 50:23:

"Whoever offers praise glorifies Me;

And to him who orders his conduct aright

I will show the salvation of God."

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You that You are beyond my imagining. When I don't understand You, I choose faith. Help me to resist the temptation to keep You in the box of my human ability to figure You out. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 50

The Bible Project VIDEO: HOLINESS (Theme series)



MORE: More thoughts along the line of Psalm 50

"Beware of a mindset that belittles and insults God. God is an absolutely unstoppable, unfailing, constant, volcano of power and fire and joy and help. He never wearies in the slightest and is omnipotently enthusiastic about his gracious purposes in your life. Never let a weak or miserly or tightfisted or weary or boring God enter your mind. He owns all and loves to glorify his power and grace by delivering people who call on him. Keep God great in your eyes for the rest of this year.") By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org,  emphasis added.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Magnify God with your gratitude

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 69:19-36

TO CHEW ON: "But I am poor and sorrowful;
Let Your salvation, O God, set me up on high.
I will praise the name of God with a song,
And will magnify Him with thanksgiving." Psalm 69:29-30

David continues on with his list of negatives.

(Several of them remind us of passages from the gospels and Acts, where the writers quote the very words of this psalm.

• Psalm 69:6 - John recalls this verse after witnessing Jesus' early cleansing of the temple in John 2:17.

• Psalm 69:21 - Jesus is offered gall and sour vinegar while on the cross in Matthew 27:34.

• Psalm 69:25 - Peter refers to this verse in relation to Judas when the apostles discuss finding about a replacement for him in Acts 1:16-20.)

Then notice how he changes course. At the junction of verses 29 and 30 it's as if he says to himself, Enough of this dwelling on the negative! And he begins to give God praise and thanksgiving.

He chooses to praise "with a song" getting his vocal cords involved.

He determines to "magnify Him with thanksgiving." I envision him peering at God and who He is through the magnifying lens of gratitude and appreciation. This makes Him bigger than the bad stuff that's happening to him; it magnifies Him.

Another meaning of magnify is to extol and exalt. We do that too as we direct our attention and fill our thoughts and our mouths with praise of God and thanksgiving to Him.

How can we do that practically?

You know all those blank notebooks people give as gifts? I've labelled the spine of one of them GRATITUDE. I write in it things for which I'm thankful. As I've persisted with this, guess what? A grateful, thankful attitude is becoming my habit!

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for being bigger than all my problems and for loading my life with good things. Help me to look away from my troubles to You and Your good gifts. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

A love-psalm to God

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 116:1-19

TO CHEW ON: “I love the LORD, because He has heard
My voice and my supplications” - Psalm 116:1

The writer of this psalm has just been through a terrifying and life-threatening experience - Psalm 116:3, 6, 8, 9.

He refers to some of the things he did (and that we typically do) during this time:

• Pray (make “supplication” = humble prayer, entreaty, petition); call on God , “implore” for deliverance - Psalm 116:1,2, 4.

• Invoke God’s name (which implies an acknowledgement of His ability, power, and reputation) - Psalm 116:4.

• Cry - Psalm 116:8.

• Believe - Psalm 116:10.

• Make vows (promises) to God of what we’ll do if we get better - Psalm 116:14,18.

Now recovered, he:

• Tells God he loves Him - Psalm 116:1. (I love how my Bible’s study notes elaborate on this: “‘I love he LORD’ is the exact response God’s heart desires as a result of God’s interventions in our lives” - Dick Iverson, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 777.)

• Declares that he will pray to God as long as he lives - Psalm 116:2.

• States that he will keep walking with God - Psalm 116:9.

• Gives thanks for salvation - Psalm 116:13, and recovery - Psalm 116:16.

• Promises to pay his vows, to keep those sickbed promises - Psalm 116:16.

Doesn’t Psalm 116 express well those feelings of relief and gratitude we also feel on getting better?  It would be a wonderful praying-the-Bible passage to express thanks for recovery from sickness or other life-threatening time.

It also has a beautiful reminder for us when God denies our prayers to get better:

“Precious in the sight of the Lord
Is the death of His saints” - Psalm 116:15.

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for so often being Healer and Helper to me. Help me to respond with gratitude, praise, kept promises, and love. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Living with God

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 84:1-12

TO CHEW ON: “Blessed are those who dwell in Your house …
Blessed is the man whose strength is in You …
Blessed is the man who trusts in You!” Psalm 84: 4,5,12


This is one of my favorite psalms. I love its exuberance over spending time with God. I love its let’s-be-in-this-for-the-long-haul encouragement (Psalm 84:5-7). Today I realized there are three “blesseds” in it: “Blessed are those who dwell in Your house…  whose strength is in You… who trust in You.”

Of course the picture of dwelling in God’s house is a metaphor. So how can we do that in reality, and find strength in God and trust in Him in a living-with-Him kind of way, every day,  multiple times throughout the day?

One aid I’ve discovered recently that helps me with this is an iPad app called PrayerMate. What I love about this app is that I can easily add prayer requests to it and upload pdf files of, for example, my church’s monthly prayer requests. I’ve also added to it Scripture prayers, like this “Praying the Bible Prayer for Writers” that I cobbled together some time ago.

Earlier this year during our church’s prayer emphasis, our associate pastor gave some excellent teaching on prayer. I’ve begun using the simple template he introduced:

• Thanksgiving: Begin prayer time with giving thanks—for things related to your request, for things you’re thankful for generally.

• Ask: Tell God everything about the issue. Spill it out onto Him in your own words.

• Agree: Find, in the Bible, what God says concerning your issue and agree with Him in prayer, praying Scripture words back to Him. 

I’ve written a Thanksgiving-Ask-Agree prayer for the writing project I’m currently working on and I plan to apply this way of praying to many more requests. If you and I did this about every anxiety and challenge that came up during the day, wouldn’t we be one of those "Blessed" ones, dwelling in God’s house, getting our strength from Him and trusting Him?

And the nice thing about having this prayer aid on my iPad is that I can open it any time I have a minute or two, and, instead of playing Solitaire or Scrabble, spend a little time “dwelling” with God.

PRAYER: Dear Father, help me to experience the joy, contentment, security, and hope of living with You expressed in this psalm. Amen. 

MORE: What does the Bible say?
Need some help finding scripture verses about your issue? Here are a few online lists that will give you a start:

89 Bible Verses About Life

23 Encouraging Bible Verses

20 Key Bible Verses for Everyday Problems 

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Thanks for abundance

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 65:1-13

TO CHEW ON: "You crown the year with Your goodness,
And your paths drip with abundance." - Psalm 65:11


What a perfect psalm to read and meditate on during this month of thanksgiving (well, at least in Canada we celebrate Thanksgiving in October). This psalm is like a list poem that names things for which the writer David appreciated God. These are things for which we too can be thankful:

1. God hears our prayers (Psalm 65:2).

2. He provided an atonement for our sins (Psalm 65:3). In the Old Testament the people sacrificed animals. David would have been referring to that kind of atonement. Then God sent Jesus, the Lamb of God, who became the atoning sacrifice for anyone and everyone in the world who believes (1 John 4:10).

3. God draws us to Himself (Psalm 65:4).

4. He satisfies our spiritual hunger in His house (worship and community) (Psalm 65:4).

5. He performs amazing feats all over the world (Psalm 65:5).

6. He created majestic mountains, a reminder of His power ((Psalm 65:6).

7. He stills sea storms, a reminder that He can also still the tumult of national war and strife (Psalm 65:7).

8. The natural world He created awes people all over the world (Psalm 65:8).

9. He made the glory of sunrise and sunset (Psalm 65:8). What a fine description:

"You made the outgoings of the morning and evening rejoice."

10. He sends rain and other precipitation so that the land is productive (Psalm 65:9-10).

11. His generosity makes possible the climax of the year, when the fields and hills sing with ripeness and abundance (Psalm 65:11-13). Here we have abundance in shops, supermarkets, and malls all year long!

What five personal items would you add to this thanksgiving list?

12. ____
13. ____
14. ____
15. ____
16. ____

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for all You are and give! I am so blessed by Your rich generosity. Amen.

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New King James Version (NKJV) Used with permission. The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

A nation under God?

Today is Thanksgiving Day in Canada. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

May gratitude to God for all His blessings fill your day.

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 67:1-7


TO CHEW ON: "God be merciful to us and bless us,

And cause His face to shine upon us, Selah." Psalm 67:1

In the book The Armageddon Factor author Marci McDonald theorizes that there is a conspiracy of the Christian right in Canada to take over the reins of government, enforce righteous standards, and thus hasten what they believe will be the end of the world, signaled by the Battle of Armageddon. As you can imagine, this book is not sympathetic to Christians.

Among other things, it has unmasked to me the fear and loathing secular society feels at the idea of God's rule. Trouble is, that resistance to Christ's lordship isn't only present in secular society. I have seen evidences of it in my own heart. Do you find it in yours? This psalm reassures us we have nothing to fear. Here are some of the positives the psalmist sees for an individual and nation living in the smile of God's approval.

1. His "way" becomes known, His salvation is broadcast at home and internationally (Psalm 67:2).

[Way - derek means way, journey, direction, manner, habit, course of life (figurative), moral character (figurative).]

What is His way? It is the humble, gentle, free-from-guile lifestyle of Matthew 5, 6 & 7.

What is His salvation? It is Jesus, come to pay the penalty for our sin so we can be reconciled to God - John 3:16, 2 Corinthians 5:18-19.

2. He is a righteous judge for individuals and nations (Psalm 67:4).
Who of us hasn't been troubled by the apparent unfairness of human legal systems, how slowly their wheels turn, and how they appear to be in the control of those who have the most to gain from things being drawn out? What security to have a judge who sees and knows everything and has the power to administer it fairly - Hebrews 4:13.

3. Under His righteous rule, even the earth—nature, soil, plants—prospers (Psalm 67:6).
The promise of a flourishing natural world where God is honored and obeyed is repeated many times in the Bible: Leviticus 26:1-4, Psalm 85:8-12, Ezekiel 34:26-27, Zechariah 8:12.

So let's not be afraid. Let's put Jesus alone on the throne of our hearts and pray that in our nation He becomes Lord, not through laws that dictate it must be so but because individuals have willingly yielded to Him.

PRAYER: Dear God, I recognize the rebellion and independence of my own heart. Help me to put and keep You on the throne of my life. Amen.

MORE: A mixed bag

The Armageddon Factor has shown me that Christian culture in Canada is a mixed bag. The book is a worthwhile read if you want to:

- Find out about the beginnings and history of many of the faith-motivated organizations and movements active in Canada today. (McDonald delves into the EFC, the National House of Prayer, the Manning Centre to barely begin the naming.)

- Pray intelligently for those in the forefront of political power.

- Understand secular society's opposition to people of faith and their presence in Canada's political arena.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Remember—and thank!

Building a booth for the Feast of Tabernacles

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 118:1-14

TO CHEW ON: "Oh give thanks to the Lord for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever."  Psalm 118:1

You have no doubt noticed how the pain and stress of past torments and troubles fades with time. When I look back on events of ten, fifteen years ago, they have a rosy glow about them. Even the hard times feel like "the good old days."

That phenomenon seems to be in evidence in this psalm. The writer recalls dangers, times of distress, being surrounded by enemies, attacked as if by "bees," manhandled and pushed. Yet the main memory is of God coming to the rescue.

Psalm 118 was part of the Feast of Tabernacles celebration. The Feast of Tabernacles was a main feast of the Jewish year, taking place in our October, five days after the Feast of Atonement. One of its main purposes was to keep alive the memory of how God helped and preserved Israel during her sojourn in the wilderness.

On the first day of that eight-day feast each person helped gather twigs of willow, palm, myrtle or bulrushes to build temporary huts or booths. These booths reminded them of God's protection, preservation, and shelter from heat and storm during their wilderness wanderings. Everyone from children to servants joined in the celebration.

On the eighth and final day of the feast Israel's high priest led a procession of priests and thousands of worshipers. They descended from the Temple Mount to the Pool of Siloam. There the priest filled a pitcher with water, then the procession took another route back to the temple. The priest poured the water on the altar in a ceremony to invoke God's blessing of the "early rains," of October and November, ensuring a spring crop.

As the water was being poured out the temple music (Hallel) began. Psalm 118 was part of the Hallel (Psalm 113-118). Israel's memories of trouble and God coming to their rescue—setting them "in a broad place," being on their side, quenching enemies "like a fire of thorns," being their strength, song and salvation.

We don't have to wait for a special feast day to praise God for how He has similarly been with us and helped us. Let's take some time today to "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good! For His mercy endures forever."

 
PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for all the times You have preserved me and my family—through childbirth, accidents, work firings, illnesses, moves, travels and trips… You are good! Amen.


MORE: More about the feast of Tabernacles (also called Feast of Booths, and Sukkot)

Learn more about the Feast of Tabernacles from these web articles:

• Sukkot (Article on Wikipedia)

• Feast of Tabernacles (Christ-Centered Mall site) 

• Feast of Tabernacles (Booths) - Bible Truth Website

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Consider the benefits

This 'memory aid' hangs in our living room. It was made by Christians in Vietnam, many of whom have been persecuted for their faith.  

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 103:1-22

TO CHEW ON: “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul and forget not all His benefits.” Psalm 103:1-2

Do you sometimes awaken in the morning besieged by first thoughts of uneasiness, foreboding, dread? I must admit that even in smooth stretches of my life, this is my experience way too often. One of the best ways to dispel this anxious fog is to do just what our verses today say: “Bless the Lord and think on His benefits.”

David lists many of them in this passage:

• He forgives our sin. Can you imagine how heavy life would feel if you had to live it under the guilt of the wrong things you had done?

• He heals our physical diseases. Not only has He designed our bodies to rejuvenate themselves but over the years people have made all kinds of discoveries about the body and healing so that nowadays there is a pill for practically everything. And He is also the God who can heal miraculously.

• He redeems our lives from destruction. “Redeems” = buys back with His sacrifice so that we are spared eternal destruction. He can also redeem from the foolishness of earlier decisions. 

• He satisfies our mouths with good thing so that we have the strength to carry on. I think this means more than just good physical food. I take it to mean a supply of good things mentally and spiritually, so that we have renewed energy for life and work.

• He knows our human vulnerabilities, deals with us like a sympathetic father.

Now add to that list of benefits your own personal list. Here are some items that come to mind:

• A wonderful husband and family.

• Citizenship in Canada – a nation of freedom and peace.

• A beautiful, comfortable home.

• A church where I am challenged and where I have a place to serve.

… I could go on and on, but I’m sure you get the idea.

Whatever your life situation today, spend some time remembering “all His benefits.” It will lift you up in ways that nothing else can.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for who You are and all Your benefits to me. Help me to live within an atmosphere of remembrance and thankfulness today.

MORE: Memory aids
God instituted many physical and dramatic aids to help us remember Him and what He has done for us.

- The Israelites were to celebrate the Passover as a remembrance of their delivery from Egypt.

- The High Priest had stones inlaid on the shoulders of his his ephod as a remembrance of each tribe in Israel.

- The people were to put fringes on their clothes to remind them of God's commandments.

- We celebrate the Lords Supper to remember Jesus death.

- Moses instructed Israelite parents to attach God’s word to their bodies (the first salvation jewelry?) and write it on the doorposts and gates of their houses.

Do you wear things or decorate your house with any aids that help you remember God and His benefits to you?

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Bless the Lord

Photo courtesy Pixabay.com

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 133:1-134:3

TO CHEW ON: "Lift up your hands in the sanctuary,
And bless the Lord." Psalm 134:2


Psalm 134 is the last of fifteen Songs of Ascent (Psalm 120-134). Pilgrims sang these psalms as they ascended to Jerusalem to take part in the annual feasts. (Jerusalem was a high point of the country topographically.)

"But," Eugene Peterson points out in his book about these psalms, "the ascent was not only literal, it was also a metaphor: the trip to Jerusalem acted out a life lived upward toward God, an existence that advanced from one level to another in developing maturity" - Eugene Peterson, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, p. 18.

I love how this last psalm in the set focuses on blessing. The Hebrew word translated "bless" here is berekah.

"It describes what God does to us and among us: he shares the goodness of his Spirit, the vitality of his creation, the joys of his redemption. He empties himself among us, and we get what he is. That is blessing" - Peterson, p 191. 

Peterson points out that "bless the Lord" is both an invitation and a command.

"Read one way the sentence is an invitation: 'Come bless God.' The great promise of being in Jerusalem is that all may join in the rich temple worship. You are welcome now to do it. Come and join in…

"The sentence… is also a command. … Do that for which you were created and redeemed; lift your voices in gratitude;  enter into the community of praise and prayer that anticipates the final consummation of faith in heaven. Bless God" - Peterson, p. 193,4.

No doubt you've experienced this. I know I have. Life is overwhelming. We feel jaded, tired, and frayed by the battles—personal, family, public, political, whatever. How refreshing it is then to enter God's presence—not with prayers of request or begging or pleading but praise and blessing.

When we bless God in this way we remind ourselves of who He is and what He is capable of. As we do this our cares somehow dissipate at His feet in our acknowledgement of how vast and powerful and glorious and good and wise He is—way bigger than all our puny concerns.

Today, whatever situation we're in, let's do that for which we were created. Let's lift our hands and faces and voices and bless the Lord.

PRAYER: Dear God, I bless You today for who You are and what You mean to me now and  will mean in the future. Thank you! Amen. 

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Thanks to God for what is and what is not yet

"Then the earth shall yield her increase" - Psalm 67:6

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 67:1-7

TO CHEW ON: "Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You." Psalm 67:3,5


This is Thanksgiving Monday in Canada. We are admonished by many voices to have a thankful attitude. But there is a curious lack in speaking of who to thank.

I suppose that's not surprising. In a society that has largely abandoned a belief in God, or at least in a God who is involved and interested in our personal lives, who or what is there to thank? Our lucky stars, a rabbit foot, the feng shui of our house?

The praise in this psalm is not a peon to capricious good luck, however, but to God—the God of creation, of covenant with forefathers, of story and history, of redemption, salvation, reclamation, and righteous endings. This is the God I too praise and thank.

As I read and re-read Psalm 67 I sense inner affirmation but also tension. Two of the things the psalmist names I can say a big "Yes" to:
- Thanks for salvation (Psalm 67:1,2).
- Thanks for the abundance that fills my life (Psalm 67:5-7).

But the middle item:

"O let the nations be glad and sing for joy!
For You shall judge the people righteously,
And govern the nations on earth."

raises objections. So many nations are not glad or singing for joy. Where is God, the righteous judge, in those places?  What if I lived in one of them? How would I testify to the truth of this?

I suppose we need to focus on the little word "shall" here ("For you shall judge the people righteously…"). It tells us this is something that hasn't happened yet but is still in the future. And so our thanksgiving becomes a matter of praising God not only for what we have, but for what we still look for Him, in faith, to be and do.

PRAYER: Dear God, we thank You that Your actions in the past have given us confidence to put our faith in You for the present and future. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

A Thank-You List

 "The valleys also are covered with grain..." Psalm 65:13 

Round bales near Chetwynd B.C. - Photo by V. Nesdoly

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 65:1-13

TO CHEW ON: "You crown the year with Your goodness,
And your paths drip with abundance." Psalm 65:11

On this Thanksgiving Sunday (in Canada), Psalm 65 reminds us of how wide-ranging and robust God's goodness to us is.

He has made a way for us to approach Him (Psalm 65:1-4):

• He hears our prayers.

• He provides atonement for our transgressions (sins—the times we miss the mark). [Atonemebt = kaphar, which means to cover over, atone for sin, make atonement]

• He chooses and draws us to Himself (Psalm 65:4 compare to John 6:37).

• Our worship spot—for David a temple, for most of us a church—has its own set of benefits and goodnesses.

He is responsive to us (Psalm 65:5-8):

• He answers our prayers in righteous and awesome ways.

• The storms of nature and human conflict which mystify and frighten us—He has power to still them.

• Nature's beauty, as in each sunrise and sunset, is a joyful reminder of Him.

He provides for us (Psalm 65:9-13):

• He sends rain. This summer even our normally rainy corner of B.C. was dry, dry, dry. In late August on the first day of rain in weeks and weeks, I'm sure I heard the ground and plants sigh with relief. This year I particularly thank God for rain.

• There is abundance—green sprouting in the desert, hills bursting into bloom, sheep dotting the landscape, fields of ripening grain. We might add orchards dropping fruit, vines heavy with reddening tomatoes or sweetening grapes, grocery store shelves so bountifully stocked we have a hard time choosing.

Let's pause with David on this weekend set aside for gratitude, to sincerely thank God for His gifts to us in every department of life!

PRAYER: Dear God, please forgive me for my often ungrateful and entitled attitude. Thank You for salvation. Thank You for my relationship with You. Thank You for more than enough for my physical well-being and enjoyment. Many, many thanks! Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The antidote for GREED

What Madame Blueberry's learns

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Ephesians 5:3-20

TO CHEW ON: "But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality or of any kind of impurity, or of greed." Ephesians 5:3

It hits me as noteworthy that "greed," what we might consider a two-star sin in badness, sits next to five-star horriblenesses like sexual immorality and impurity.

"Greed" - "intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food" Dictionary definition, is hardly a stranger to us.

I'm spending some time with my grandkids as I write this. Yesterday I heard one of them asking his mom when he could go shopping for a certain big toy he wanted. She answered him by asking if he really needed that toy and suggesting he'd have to get rid of some of his other toys to make room for another one.

Later in the day we watched a Veggie Tales video, the one with Madame Blueberry (I had no idea of the theme of this  video when we picked it!). In it Larry the Cucumber and Bob the Tomato discuss Larry's desire for accessories for his mechanical jeep. They decide to visit Madame Blueberry, who lives in a beautiful tree house but is very unhappy because she is always comparing her things and her house to everyone else. (She has a shelf with pictures of all the stuff she wants, from new spoons to an air compressor. Later when salesmen from the new Stuff Mart up the street invite her to go shopping, she, Larry and Bob are out of the treehouse in a flash.)

On the way to Madame Blueberry's house, Larry and Bob happen upon a little girl who is celebrating her birthday with a humble piece of apple pie. The song they overhear her sing delivers a beautiful and memorable lesson for Larry, Bob, Madame Blueberry, kids and adults. (The veggies will recall this song later, when Mme. Blueberry's stuff becomes a huge disappointment.) Here are some of the lyrics:

I thank God for this day
For the sun in the sky
For my mom and my dad
For my piece of apple pie! ...

Because a thankful heart is a happy heart!
I'm glad for what I have
That's an easy way to start

Listen to the whole song...

Our passage paints a picture of life in the Spirit.

• It's a life of "light" - Ephesians 5:8,9

• Transparency and openness - Ephesians 5:13

• Wisdom - Ephesians 5:13

• Mouths full of encouraging, uplifting, God-praising words and songs - Ephesians 5:19

• And the antidote to our very-bad greed—THANKFULNESS:  "... always giving thanks to God the Father for everything" - Ephesians 5:20.

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to practice thankfulness, first in my thoughts and then in my words. Amen.

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Unless noted otherwise, all Scriptures quoted s in this meditation are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Beauty—separate from the madness and mayhem

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Chronicles 16:23-36

TO CHEW ON: "Give to the Lord the glory due His name;
Bring an offering and come before Him.
Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." 1 Chronicles 16:29

Our reading today is part of the song of thanksgiving David sang when he brought the Ark to Jerusalem. It soars with praise and thanksgiving, God-compliments and God-boasts. It suggests to its listeners and participants how to worship:

"Sing to the Lord …  proclaim the good news …  Declare His glory …  Give to the Lord glory and strength … the glory due His name. Bring an offering … Worship…in the beauty of holiness… Tremble before Him… Give thanks and say, 'Save us, O God of our salvation."

To me the climax of David's song is the line from verse 29: "Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness."

[Holiness (Qodesh) means apartness, sacredness, separateness, holiness.]

A sidebar article in my Bible explains:

"To worship the Lord in the beauty of His holiness is to worship God in the adornment, enrichment, enhancement of His "otherness" and sacredness. He is separate and set apart from all that He created. He is the Holy One—this is His crowning attribute that sums up all His attributes" - LeMar Boschman, "Worship In Holiness," New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 539.

As I'm writing this, our news media is all a-frenzy, reporting on two events—the antics of local eco-protestors on Burnaby Mountain and the riots, looting, fire-setting and general lawlessness that started in Ferguson, Missouri on November 24th.

No matter who's right or wrong in these situations, the ugliness, bad language, violence, anger, resistance to authority they bring out is sickening. To me it's a vivid illustration of the beastly heart inside us, usually covered by a veneer of civility but so readily aroused to rebellion and mayhem.

Setting my mind, tuning my mouth to praise God, who is "separate and set apart" from us—clamorous, violent, easily provoked humans—spending time in His altogether fair, powerful, pure presence, appreciating His creativity, thanking Him for His accomplishments in history (knowing that He will sort out these events too), salvation, my life, is mighty attractive right about now!

PRAYER: Dear God, I know my mind can only begin to comprehend You—just because You are holy, separate, other. Today, please help me to experience some of Your holy essence as I worship in Your presence. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Authentic living

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 100:1 - 101:6

TO CHEW ON: "I will behave wisely in a perfect (blameless) way …
I will walk within my house with a perfect heart." - Psalm 101:2

The word that comes to mind when I read David's resolve to live well in private ("within my house") as well as in public is authentic.

[Authentic: 1. Entitled to belief, trustworthy, reliable. 2. Of undisputed origin, genuine -  Funk and Wagnall's Dictionary.]

It 's all too easy and common for us, however, to live one way outwardly, doing things that will impress or not offend onlookers. But when we get home and kick off our shoes, how readily those niceties come off with them and we're unkind, rude, ornery, critical, careless about what we say and how we say it.

My Thompson Chain Bible lists the characteristics of the Christian's walk:

• It is a new life, a spiritual walk that is not "according to the flesh but according to the Spirit" - Romans 8:1,4; Galatians 5:16.

• It is a faith walk - 2 Corinthians 5:7.

• It is a walk of love - Ephesians 5:2.

• It is a circumspect walk - Ephesians 5:15. The Amplified Bible enlarges on circumspect: "Live purposefully and worthily and accurately…"

• It is a walk that is lived with an awareness of life's brevity - Ephesians 5:16.

• It is a joyful, thankful, singing walk expressed in songs, hymns and spiritual songs - Ephesians 5:19.

• It is a walk in the light, as opposed to being sneaky and underhanded- Ephesians 5:8; 1 John 1:7.

• It is a Christ-like walk - 1 John 2:6.

Let's make it the walk of our entire lives—at home and away, in church and in the car, shopping and watching the game, eating out and relaxing at Grandma's…

PRAYER: Dear God, please show me where I live one way to impress or not to offend others, and another way at home. Help me to "walk within my house with a perfect (blameless) heart." Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

Is praise your default setting?

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 63:1-11

TO CHEW ON: “Because Your lovingkindness is better than life my lips shall praise You.” Psalm 63:3

Lisa Coriale, a friend of my daughter’s, has cerebral palsy. This lovely young woman lives in a body that is stiff and twisted. She has a hard time making herself understood when she talks. But she has amazing pluck and determination, has earned a university degree, and is trained as a social worker. She also has amazing faith – evidenced in a book of poems she published a few years ago. Though lines like these don’t surprise me:

“Spinning out of control
Grasping onto whatever I can
An item shatters on the floor
Higher waters overwhelm me” – from “Rant,” p. 27

…what I do find surprising is the note of triumphant praise that ends almost every piece:

“Remember to thank Him for everything” – from “Open Doors” p. 26
“He will set you free” – from “Freedom” p. 29
“The hand of God will create the ultimate / masterpiece for our lives” – from “The Hand of God” p. 32.

(All quotes from Transparent a book of poems by Lisa Coriale)

Psalm 63 was also written from a hard place. When we realize David was hiding from Saul in the wilderness of Judah at the time he wrote it, words like, “Because Your lovingkiness is better than life, My lips shall praise You” could easily puzzle us.

For what was he praising God? Perhaps he was praising because God had given Gad the prophet the message for him to flee, and so for the moment he was eluding jealous King Saul. Or perhaps his praise was sparked by the fact that he had just found water, or that he and his men were able to survive at all. Or maybe he praised God just because God is worthy of praise no matter what is or isn’t happening for us. “Thus I will praise you while I live…”

What is your situation today? Are you praising God in it? I find that even when things are good my attitude doesn’t naturally tend toward praise. I need to work on making praise my default setting no matter what my circumstances. And so I say with David: “My lips shall praise you… I will bless You while I live…I will lift up my hands… My soul shall be satisfied… my mouth shall praise you… I meditate on You… I will rejoice.”

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me train my attitude toward praise so that it is my first reaction in every situation. Amen


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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Rain cycle of blessing

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 2 Corinthians 9:1-15

TO CHEW ON: "Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God - 2 Corinthians 9:10,11

I love stories of financial needs being met, to the dollar and in the nick of time. The lives of Christian adventurers—like foreign and home missionaries—are full of accounts of specific sums of money prayed for and supplied, not a moment too soon or too late, often through unsolicited donations received as cheques in the mail or found in an envelope at the door.

Not only is the recipient blessed through these events. The giver us most surely blessed too when they discover that the money amount they felt impressed to tuck into an envelope was the exact sum that the person needed and for which she was praying.

Paul is referring to this cycle of generosity when he prays blessing and multiplication on the sower's seed. That physical multiplication can morph to "… increase the fruits if your righteousness" as they bless others with this increase.

This results in thanksgiving. Paul expresses it as "thanksgiving through us to God," that is, through the person receiving the gift. But I would suggest it also becomes thanksgiving to God through the giver, as they realize they are part of this divine "rain cycle" of blessing.

On this Canadian Thanksgiving Monday, whether we are recipients or givers of generosity, let's give thanks!

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for connecting us to others' needs and them to ours, by Your Holy Spirit. Help us to bring our needs to You and open ourselves—our homes and wallets—in generosity when we are moved by the needs of others. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.