Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
June 8, 2023
Psalm 33:1-11
1 All you who are righteous, shout joyfully to the LORD! It’s right for those who do right to praise God. 2 Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre! Sing praises to him with the ten-stringed harp! 3 Sing to him a new song! Play your best with joyful shouts! 4 Because the LORD’s word is right, his every act is done in good faith. 5 He loves righteousness and justice; the LORD’s faithful love fills the whole earth. 6 The skies were made by the LORD’s word, all their starry multitude by the breath of his mouth. 7 He gathered the ocean waters into a heap; he put the deep seas into storerooms. 8 All the earth honors the LORD; all the earth’s inhabitants stand in awe of him. 9 Because when he spoke, it happened! When he commanded, there it was! 10 The LORD overrules what the nations plan; he frustrates what the peoples intend to do. 11 But the LORD’s plan stands forever; what he intends to do lasts from one generation to the next.
Good Morning, All things bright and beautiful, The Lord God made them all.
Sometimes it is time to celebrate. The Psalms are not where we go to find the history of David’s life, but they are David’s response to what is happening in his life. Many of the Psalms, including this one, were set to music and became part of the church's liturgy. “It is right for those who do right to praise God . . . Sing to the Lord a new Song!”
When everything is going well, we love a good celebration, but I find it is necessary to find things to celebrate when things are challenging. I must purposely find what is going well in the midst of my struggles. It is sometimes helpful to make a list of the good. In those times of great despair, our list might start with I woke up and got out of bed. Thank you, God.
The first verse is about who is praising God, the second and third verses tell us how to praise God, and the rest remind us why we praise God. Even when the storms are raging around us, God is with us. We can focus on the storms, or we can focus on what is good. Focusing on what is good does not eliminate or even lessen the severity of the storms, but this is what allows us to endure the storms. Vivian Greene said, “Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning how to dance in the rain.”
Think about how much of our life is lost if we sit and wait for the storms to pass. God is with us. How we live with suffering and acknowledge God’s presence in our suffering is what makes us endure. There is a presence, a guardian of the soul, the Holy Spirit, that gives us hope. With hope, we can praise God, thank God, pray to God, and sing to God a new song! Sing it loud! Sing it proud! The LORD’s faithful love fills the whole earth.
Take time to stop whatever you are doing today to celebrate and PRAISE GOD!
Amazing God, We thank you for Your blessings. It is so easy for us to get bogged down in our struggles. Help us find and focus on the hope that comes through You. We Thank You! In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: Even when we don’t understand how God is working for our good.
Celebrate with a New Song! Pastor Liz
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