Tag: Psalm 95

God is Worthy of Our Praise and There Is No Other

Job 10-11

Psalm 95

Hebrews 10

-Devotion by Tom Siderius (MI)

What a great day to be in Christ and have the praise of our Father on our lips and in our hearts.  Is there truly anything else we can do for God?  Our gifts to Him can only be from our hearts and lips.   Psalm 95 gives us the beautiful music of this praise of our hearts.

Psalms 95:1-7(NLT) Come, let us sing to the LORD!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come to him with thanksgiving.
Let us sing psalms of praise to him.
3 For the LORD is a great God,
a great King above all gods.
4 He holds in his hands the depths of the earth
and the mightiest mountains.
5 The sea belongs to him, for he made it.
His hands formed the dry land, too.
6 Come, let us worship and bow down.
Let us kneel before the LORD our maker,
7 for he is our God.
We are the people he watches over,
the flock under his care.

We are the flock cared for by the God who is our Shepherd and help in time of need.  Jesus is now given the power to gather the church of God today with the same care as the Father who has loved us.  He is the shepherd of our hearts and lives today.

Hebrews 2:11-15(NLT) So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. 12 For he said to God, “I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you among your assembled people.” 13 He also said, “I will put my trust in him,” that is, “I and the children God has given me.” 14 Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. 15 Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.

How does it feel to know that you are the child of God Almighty and the brother of the Christ who died for you.  Raised with him from the grave and set free from the chains of sin and death.  Only God and His Son are worthy of our praise.

Ephesians 1:5-11(NLT) God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. 7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. 9 God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. 10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. 11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.

Reflection Questions

Why did God choose YOU?

What is the response of your heart to Him and our Lord Jesus Christ?

What do we need to do today?

Prayer

Father, Father, we love You so much and look in awe on all You have done for us.  We praise You with our hearts and mouths.  Be with us this day as You have promised and give us the bread and help we need to do Your will.  We love You because You first loved us. In our precious Savior’s name Jesus Christ

SGL.2026.CalendarDownload

Will You Stand Firm or Topple?

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 13-14

Poetry: Psalm 95

New Testament: 2 Thessalonians 2

            Psalm 95 encourages praise and worship to the LORD with joy and thanksgiving. When I was in upper elementary school, I was challenged to make note of three things I was thankful for every day. I gave the same challenge to those who attended Family Camp at the end of my sermon Sunday night. I challenge you today to find at least three things you are thankful for and lift them up to the LORD in praise. 

            In 2 Chronicles 13 and 14, you read about the reign of Abijah and Asa, kings of Judah. Unlike King Rehoboam who did evil in the eyes of the LORD, these two both pointed the people back to God, but in different ways. Abijah focused on the fact that the Levites were still faithfully serving and teaching in the temple. He recognized the faults of the king of Israel for having false priests who were not faithful to the LORD most high. King Abijah recognized who God was and the implications that had on the people of Judah. King Asa went farther than King Abijah by removing anything that was meant for idol worship. He also commanded the people to seek God and follow His law. Under both these kings, the nation of Judah was prosperous and had great success when defending their land. They recognized and encouraged truth among the nation. 

            2 Thessalonians 2 warns against a man of lawlessness who will say he is higher than God as well as encourage lawlessness and wickedness. This man is not like the kings you read about in 2 Chronicles. He will lead people away from God instead of towards God. Paul writes in verse 15 “So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.” The way to combat this lawlessness is to stand firm in what you have been taught. Abijah stood firm in what he had been taught about God being with the people of Judah. Asa stood firm in what he had been taught by pointing people back to following God’s commands. Both successfully and literally fought off those who were against God. 

            This is going to look different within your own life. Instead of fighting a nation, you are fighting on an individual level. 1 Peter 5:8-9 says “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings” (NIV). Temptation will come your way. Lawlessness approaches. Luckily, the Bible warns against that happening so you can be prepared to stand firm in your faith just like Abijah and Asa. One way you can be prepared to stand firm is doing what I challenged you to do at the beginning of this devotional. Finding the good in life that you can praise God for doing. Recognizing His presence and work within your life helps combat against the negativity of the world.

            Judy Hopps, from the movie Zootopia, is a good example of how your mentality can help you stand firm or be swayed. Judy is a small bunny whose childhood dream was to become a cop. She worked her hardest to pass from the police academy. She continued to work towards her strong desire to do good even when everyone around her didn’t think she could do it. When she ended up as a meter maid, she still tried to keep a positive attitude about her situation to stand firm in her convictions of doing good as a police officer. If you’ve seen in the movie she doesn’t always have that attitude and when she doesn’t, it doesn’t go well for her. Her joy and determination were completely gone so she ended up giving up. Judy lost her strong stance and fell. 

            The same can be true within our own lives. Not only should we know and understand the scripture in order to be firmly rooted in truth, we must also be firmly rooted in thanksgiving and praise. Recognizing God’s work in your life will help you stand firm. Having both knowledge and an attitude of thanksgiving, your foundation will be deeply rooted and ready for whatever comes. Like Paul warned against, a lawless one will come. He will spread lies and try to topple believers. You must stand firm in your faith like the good kings of 2 Chronicles. Knowing what is within the Word will help you stand firm, but having a heart of praise will keep you close to God and your attitude in a positive place. 

-Makenna Landry

Reflection:

1 – What are three things you can praise God for today?

2 – How has thankfulness helped you stand firm when the world seems bleak?

3 – What stood out to you the most in the lives of King Abijah and King Asa? 

sglcalendar2024Download

A Call to Worship

Why we Should Give Praise to the LORD

Psalm 95, 97-99

 

psalm 95 1

I got so excited reading Psalm 95 today because of my enduring joy and love for worshipping God in song. Growing up, music was something that I would consider a “constant”. It kept me grounded in some of the most difficult moments of my life, and it helped me celebrate my greatest victories. When it was hard to pray, or if I struggled to read my Bible like I should, worship was still a peaceful, easy place for me to meet with God. As I got older, worship was where I developed my deepest relationship with God. It has always forced me to be vulnerable and open. 

 

But as I have grown in faith and maturity, I have discovered that coming to the LORD in song has absolutely nothing to do with how it makes us feel. That is a plus of course–what we gain from pouring out our heart to God is incredible. But ultimately, coming before the LORD in praise and worship is something we should do because God has earned it. 

 

Let’s think about it. When we go to church…Or in our current case, when we watch our church services online. Most of the service is centered around teaching, edifying, even sometimes, convicting us. Worship is a specific time to give back. It’s about adoration and proclamation. 

 

O come, let us sing to the Lord;

    let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!   (Psalm 95:1)

 

What a special opportunity we have to come together in unity to shout to the LORD with gladness for all of his goodness and mercy that he has poured upon us. That is amazing! And it is something we shouldn’t take lightly. 

 

So whether you are musical or not, I urge you to take some time to make a joyful noise to the LORD. It is one of the greatest gifts you can give to our God who has everything. And that is a gift worth giving. 

Leslie Jones

 

Today’s Bible reading can be read or listened to at https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+95%2C+97-99&version=NIV

Tomorrow’s reading will be a little bit of everything: 2 Samuel 24, 1 Chronicles 21-22 & Psalm 30 as we continue with the 2020 Chronological Bible Reading Plan