From:
Date: November 18, 2019
Subject: It's November 18; Good Morning Union
“My heart is steadfast O Lord.” Psalm 108
Not all the psalms connect with me every day. I actually had to go through the first three of the day before I found my ah-ha moment. Psalm 18, 48, and 78 were too dark for me today- so I just kept on reading, which is my normal response to the parts of God’s word that just don’t resonate at the moment. I’ve said it before, I’ll probably say it again—one of the proofs of the inspiration of the Bible for me is the way it can speak to me differently at different times and for different purposes. I may have underlined something in my Bible, which obviously means I’ve seen it before, and then I come upon it again later in life and say, “I wonder why I underlined that,” because I don’t see anything “special” about the text now, though I obviously did at some time! Does that make sense?! So, like today when I had decided to read the 5 psalms of the day, I found nothing for the first three (and actually not much in the fifth one either!) BUT—God is faithful when I’m faithful and He faithfully rewards my faithfulness in His word. (He’s faithful to me even when I’m NOT faithful to Him too, I just don’t see it as clearly! J)
So today it’s Psalm 108-
“My heart is steadfast”- daily I make a recommitment to God of my life because faithfulness and steadfastness every day has become the habit of my life and the anchor of my focus.
“I will sing and make music with all my soul”- it’s an emotional response to me too. When I go out for my walk, especially in the winter when it’s still dark and I see the stars and follow the moon through its very predictable monthly route across the heavens, I am turned to songs of praise that I sing (I’m alone so don’t worry, no one hears me!) and I am emotionally awed by the greatness of God.
“I will awaken the dawn”- sorry, I’m a morning person! I like the dawn! And what a better thing to do as the day begins than for me to begin my day by reconfirming my intention to be faithful and steadfast with God, AND to do it by “making music,” which for me is more of the “joyful noise” as David called it in Psalm 100, than it is actually “music!” But it’s still MY music!
“I will sing to You and praise You”- morning worship is not about me and my needs for the day that I want a “genie” God to grant me. It’s about praise, it’s about commitment, it’s with song, it’s with my heart, it’s about Him and not me. He’ll take care of me; He already knows what I need and already knows how to best take care of me. It’s ME that needs the daily refocusing and recommitting of Who I’m going to follow.
And the two reasons David gives for making “steadfast music and praise?”
And for those two reasons I will continue to worship you, at dawn, steadfastly, with music and praise SO THAT “YOU O God are exalted above all the heavens, and YOU are glorified over all the earth.” Vs5
Have a great day worshipping God with all your heart and all your soul,
Pastor Rich
Quote for the day: “What is sin?
Sin is the glory of God not honored,
the holiness of God not reverenced,
the greatness of God not admired,
the power of God not praised,
the truth of God not sought,
the wisdom of God not esteemed,
the beauty of God not treasured,
the goodness of God not savored,
the faithfulness of God not trusted,
the promises of God not believed,
the commandments of God not obeyed,
the justice of God not respected,
the wrath of God not feared,
the grace of God not cherished,
the presence of God not prized,
the person of God not loved.
That is sin.” - John Piper
PS Don’t forget the SM/TF Christmas boxes
PPS We’re taking Operation Christmas Child boxes to the distribution center this week. Be sure we have yours!!