Thursday, August 28, 2014

THE PSALMS – A JOURNEY IN WORSHIP AND FAITH - August 28, 2014 - Day 33 - Psalm 33

How do we look our best for God? We begin with praise.  God deserves our very best and when we praise God we are right where He wants us to be. The reasons to praise God are many and Psalm 33 is a good place to start when learning about praise.

Psalm 33:1
“Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright.”
Yes, praise befits the upright.

How do we praise Him? One way is with music.
Psalm 33:2-3
“Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.”


It’s ok to be loud when we praise Him with our music.
Why praise God?

Psalm 33:4-7
“For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.
He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.
By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses.”
We praise Him for his just and faithful being. We praise Him for the power and majesty of His Word. God made the heavens and the earth by speaking it into existence.

Psalm 33:8-9
“Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.”
In the past weeks much has been said about ISIS, the terrorist group that is killing Christians and slaughtering children. Some Christians are fearful as rumors fly that they are already here in America. Fear not God’s people. Man’s governments and man’s rebellion against God are futile.

Psalm 33:10
“The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples.”

Though America may not be a Christian nation, it is filled with God’s church. The church must stand in faith and in prayer. Our Father has us under His watchful eye.

Psalm 33:11-15
“The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!
The LORD looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man;
from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth,
he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds.”
The answer is not the Navy Seals, the Marines, or the Army. The answer is not to buy more guns.

Psalm 33:16-17
“The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue.”
The answer is faith and trust in our God who created the earth with His spoken Word. The answer is to wait on Him and make Him your shield.

Psalm 33:18-20
“Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,
that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine.
Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.”
The answer is praise; praise in the midst of a chaotic world. Jesus promised to come back. He will. Praise Him and wait on Him. Hope in Him is a sure thing, so rejoice and be glad. Shine His light.

Psalm 33:21-22
“For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.
Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you.”

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