Psalm 113
Christianity has its challenges. It places demands on us that set us apart from the rest of our world. The bible calls us a peculiar people, who navigate the challenge of living IN the world, without being OF the world. When we say ‘no’ to temptations that are enjoyed by the masses, we are labeled as self-righteous snobs, religious weirdoes, or worse. But we persevere, and we press toward that invisible line the Apostle Paul drew in the sands of time…for the high calling in Christ Jesus.
All of us have encountered someone in our lifetime – a family member, a co-worker, a neighbor, or an acquaintance – who asked us WHY? Why do we pour all of our talents, all of our gifts, and all of our service into church?
They make a carnal argument that we cannot see Jesus, we cannot hear Jesus, and we cannot receive anything from Jesus. So why do we serve Jesus? And of course, we make the counter argument that we do indeed see Him with our spiritual eye; we do indeed hear His voice, not with our ears, but with our heart, and we do indeed receive the daily gift of His guidance as Deliverer. But many scoff and simply turn away.
That’s what you get when you’re in mixed company – the saved and the unsaved. But today it’s just us, the saints of God. And if you’re like me, after being rejected all week, you need a recharge of your spiritual battery. So let’s recharge our spirits by linking up to one of my favorite power sources of scripture…Psalm 113.
Psalm 113 reads like a 1st century pep talk for those with spiritual burnout. The writer makes his case for the Lord by pointing to the many ways that God earns our praise. These nine verses of scripture are saturated with three specific reasons to praise the Lord – He is Su...
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...ied by His Spirit. And more, we are now saved through His salvation, adopted into His family, and sheltered in His arms.
The Lord is Supreme…He is the One, True and Living God.
The Lord is our Benefactor…He makes us to lie down in green pastures.
The Lord is our Creator…He fashioned us in His image.
The motive for our praise is to believe in Christ.
The rest of our praise is to trust in Christ.
The wisdom for our praise is to learn of Christ.
The joy of our praise is to obey Christ.
The satisfaction of our praise is to submit to Christ.
And the hope of our praise is to look for Christ.
Christ, the Jewel of God’s Creation.
We are calmed through His peace,
Strengthened through His power,
Encouraged through His promises,
Refreshed through His glory,
Assured through His voice,
And sustained through His touch.
I’ve got a reason to praise the Lord!
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