Having been negligent lately in "praising the Lord at all times," I think this is a good month to let praise speak for itself.
Praise the Lord in the highest heavens;
Praise Him, stars of the midnight sky;
Praise Him, moon and each circling planet;
Praise Him, angels who serve on high.
Praise the Lord from the deepest ocean;
Praise Him, beasts of the field and wood;
Every creature, now bow before Him;
Praise the Lord, Who made all things good.
Praise the Lord from your inmost being,
Every soul of the human race;
Give your thanks and your adoration
To the God of all power and grace.
Praise the Lord and rejoice before Him;
Praise the One Whom our souls adore;
Praise Him, praise Him; yes, praise Him always,
For all time and forevermore.
Showing posts with label praise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label praise. Show all posts
Friday, July 26, 2013
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Sing Praise to God, Who Made the Stars
Even in today's light-polluted cities, the stars still have power to make us feel small. Psalm 8:3-4 still puts it best: "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?" And David didn't even know that most of those stars are hundreds of times bigger than Earth and thousands of light years distant.
Even today, we try to scale down the universe to what our minds can grasp, routinely crafting science fiction that erases the difficulties of traveling faster than light and balancing the "time zones" of separate solar systems. Likewise, we frequently try to understand God by our own logic: "Why doesn't He do this/stop that/straighten these things out when any reasonable human being would if given the power?" Some people, having accepted that they can't figure God out, go to the opposite extreme and conclude He probably doesn't understand them either--or care to.
There's a Christmas fable about a man who couldn't see why God would become human until he saw a flock of birds blundering about in a snowstorm, and, unable to make them understand that shelter was nearby, found himself wishing he could become a bird and lead them there. Christmas is where we find the balance between our inability to comprehend God and His desire to have us know Him, between the Maker of vast space and the Father Who guards and guides our every step through this world.
This Advent, take time to think about the love and humility involved in God's own Incarnational step between two realities.
Sing
praise to God, Who made the stars, Who rules the whole of space;
From
farthest galaxy to Mars, He gives each part a place;
Down
to this tiny world of ours, He holds them by His grace.
Sing
praise to God, Who made the sea, the land, and all that flies;
The
greatest whale, the smallest flea, He watches with His eyes;
He
likewise watches you and me; and He is good and wise.
Sing
praise to God, Who gives us breath, Who guards us every day,
Who
will not let us live bereft, but seeks us when we stray,
Who
loves us all from birth to death, and leads us in His way.
Sing
praise to God, Who made all time, each moment and each year,
Who
holds us by His Power divine, and calms our every fear:
“I’m coming back,” He says, “for Mine, and I will dry
each tear.”
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Blessed Be the Name of the Lord
The popular praise song "Blessed Be Your Name" was inspired partly by the 9/11 disaster and partly by Job 1:21b: "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord” (New King James Version). Job spoke those words from what must have been a very similar emotional state to that of those reeling from 9/11; he, like the world of 2001, was swallowed in the shock and grief of nearly inconceivable tragedy.
The fall of the World Trade Center may be more than a decade past, but the world has found plenty of other disasters to serve up in the meantime, most recently on July 20 when a man gunned down over a dozen people at a Colorado theater. But tragedy needn't make the front pages to hit deep down: everyone who has lost a single loved one to a car wreck, a drive-by shooting, or a sudden heart attack has felt that agonizing blow to the spirit, that feeling that the world itself has had a violent burst of rage and lashed out blindly to destroy the innocent.
Who really feels like blessing God's name when the things "taken away" are no longer theoretical?
We cry out for answers, but perhaps none can be really satisfactory. As far as we know, Job never learned of the spiritual interactions behind his suffering--and even for of us who are privy to that part, the idea that God wanted to "prove a point" is not really a particularly good reason from the viewpoint of human logic. Yet the answer for us is the same as the answer Job ultimately found: to turn his eyes from his troubles to his God, to admit he had no right to argue with One so far above him, and to trust God to make everything right in the end.
That is the mindset that grants God the praise He deserves--and our hearts the peace He longs to give.
As we walk the days of our lifetimes,
May we each come to understand
That the good and the evil that meet us
All have passed through our Father's hand:
Not a thing that touches our pathways,
Be it windfall or tragedy,
Ever falls to the lot of God's children
Unless He allows it to be.
When your way seems brimming with blessings,
And your life filled with wealth and ease,
Give your thanks to the Lord, the great Giver,
Who allots things as He does please:
Do not think it is your own doing,
Nor to use for yourself alone,
But use wisely what God has allowed you,
To His praise and the power of His Throne.
When your life seems drowning in sorrows,
And each day brings another pain,
Still give praise to the Lord Who is Master,
And one day will make all things plain:
Do not moan over life's unfairness,
Nor grow angry and curse your fate,
But accept it as part of God's working;
His grace comes to all those who wait.
As we walk the days of our lifetimes,
Let us take all as from God's hand:
All the joys that we praise as His blessings,
All the pains we cannot understand,
All are shaping us in His image,
All are gifts from the Lord of Love,
Who is painting a beautiful picture
For the day we ascend above!
The fall of the World Trade Center may be more than a decade past, but the world has found plenty of other disasters to serve up in the meantime, most recently on July 20 when a man gunned down over a dozen people at a Colorado theater. But tragedy needn't make the front pages to hit deep down: everyone who has lost a single loved one to a car wreck, a drive-by shooting, or a sudden heart attack has felt that agonizing blow to the spirit, that feeling that the world itself has had a violent burst of rage and lashed out blindly to destroy the innocent.
Who really feels like blessing God's name when the things "taken away" are no longer theoretical?
We cry out for answers, but perhaps none can be really satisfactory. As far as we know, Job never learned of the spiritual interactions behind his suffering--and even for of us who are privy to that part, the idea that God wanted to "prove a point" is not really a particularly good reason from the viewpoint of human logic. Yet the answer for us is the same as the answer Job ultimately found: to turn his eyes from his troubles to his God, to admit he had no right to argue with One so far above him, and to trust God to make everything right in the end.
That is the mindset that grants God the praise He deserves--and our hearts the peace He longs to give.
As we walk the days of our lifetimes,
May we each come to understand
That the good and the evil that meet us
All have passed through our Father's hand:
Not a thing that touches our pathways,
Be it windfall or tragedy,
Ever falls to the lot of God's children
Unless He allows it to be.
When your way seems brimming with blessings,
And your life filled with wealth and ease,
Give your thanks to the Lord, the great Giver,
Who allots things as He does please:
Do not think it is your own doing,
Nor to use for yourself alone,
But use wisely what God has allowed you,
To His praise and the power of His Throne.
When your life seems drowning in sorrows,
And each day brings another pain,
Still give praise to the Lord Who is Master,
And one day will make all things plain:
Do not moan over life's unfairness,
Nor grow angry and curse your fate,
But accept it as part of God's working;
His grace comes to all those who wait.
As we walk the days of our lifetimes,
Let us take all as from God's hand:
All the joys that we praise as His blessings,
All the pains we cannot understand,
All are shaping us in His image,
All are gifts from the Lord of Love,
Who is painting a beautiful picture
For the day we ascend above!
Friday, January 20, 2012
Count Your Blessings, Not Your Troubles
I confess that I lifted today's title from a principles list in Dale Carnegie's classic work, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living. Mostly because I could hardly say it any better--and because the contrast points up a major struggle in my own life. Counting troubles is so much easier.
Many a parent and teacher can testify that it's the bratty children who get attention, while the quiet, well-behaved ones are taken for granted unless their performance proves exceptionally good. Life's circumstances are little different. When things go smoothly, we take it as no more than our due; when circumstances impede our wants, we can think of nothing else. We're like the Israelites in the wilderness who set up a wail when the water supply ran short and complained that their daily diet was too monotonous, rarely thanking God for His miraculous provision or trusting that He would keep it up.
Trusting God: therein lies the key issue. If we truly believe He loves us and has our best interests at heart, we should have little trouble seeing the many good things in our lives; if we think in terms of "I know what's best for me and I have a right to it," everything that interferes with that ideal is the enemy. To whatever degree you believe that good thoughts attract good things and bad thoughts bad, the biggest roadblocks to our happiness are the ones we build through our own "I want what I want and I absolutely refuse to accept anything else" attitudes. Because very few people come close to getting everything they want.
Even those who do tend to find it considerably less satisfying than generally assumed. Selfishness is a sure path to misery; it's just not what we were made for. We were created, as the old catechism goes, "to glorify God [not ourselves] and to enjoy him [not our own ideas of perfect circumstances] forever."
And when we focus on Him, blessings become far clearer as well.
Count your blessings, not your troubles:
If you look at wants and lacks,
Misery will fall upon you
As a battered vessel cracks.
If you look at God's abundance
And you let Him fill your life,
Joy will come to rule your spirit
And your happiness will thrive.
Count your blessings, not your troubles:
God gives special gifts to each
As His wisdom sees is fitting:
Do not for another's reach.
Joy in what is yours, and use it
In God's grace to serve your Lord,
Do His work, and praise His glory--
You will find your sure reward!
Many a parent and teacher can testify that it's the bratty children who get attention, while the quiet, well-behaved ones are taken for granted unless their performance proves exceptionally good. Life's circumstances are little different. When things go smoothly, we take it as no more than our due; when circumstances impede our wants, we can think of nothing else. We're like the Israelites in the wilderness who set up a wail when the water supply ran short and complained that their daily diet was too monotonous, rarely thanking God for His miraculous provision or trusting that He would keep it up.
Trusting God: therein lies the key issue. If we truly believe He loves us and has our best interests at heart, we should have little trouble seeing the many good things in our lives; if we think in terms of "I know what's best for me and I have a right to it," everything that interferes with that ideal is the enemy. To whatever degree you believe that good thoughts attract good things and bad thoughts bad, the biggest roadblocks to our happiness are the ones we build through our own "I want what I want and I absolutely refuse to accept anything else" attitudes. Because very few people come close to getting everything they want.
Even those who do tend to find it considerably less satisfying than generally assumed. Selfishness is a sure path to misery; it's just not what we were made for. We were created, as the old catechism goes, "to glorify God [not ourselves] and to enjoy him [not our own ideas of perfect circumstances] forever."
And when we focus on Him, blessings become far clearer as well.
Count your blessings, not your troubles:
If you look at wants and lacks,
Misery will fall upon you
As a battered vessel cracks.
If you look at God's abundance
And you let Him fill your life,
Joy will come to rule your spirit
And your happiness will thrive.
Count your blessings, not your troubles:
God gives special gifts to each
As His wisdom sees is fitting:
Do not for another's reach.
Joy in what is yours, and use it
In God's grace to serve your Lord,
Do His work, and praise His glory--
You will find your sure reward!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
God, Our Holy Father
Today, I'm going to give you a break from scanning through paragraphs of prose--and myself a break from the compulsive and stressful habit of telling all I know--and let this praise-and-worship poem do most of the talking. It can be sung to the same tune as "Holy, Holy, Holy."
God, our Holy Father, Master, Creator,
In the early morning our praises rise to You;
Molder and Preserver, Maker and Sustainer,
Lord of the living, ever pure and true.
God, our Lord and Savior, Holy Redeemer,
As the day moves onward, we keep our eyes on You;
You alone are worthy; You are all we dream of,
Perfect, unblemished, loving, pure, and true.
God, our Guide and Comfort, ever all-knowing,
As the day is waning, we give our thanks to You;
You are ever with us, Power forever flowing,
Glorious and mighty, ever wise and true.
God, our Lord eternal, holy yet gentle,
When earth’s days are ended, we’ll still sing praise to You;
You are King forever, Heaven’s firm-standing Temple,
Through endless ages, faithful, strong, and true.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
All Praise and Thanksgiving
Detail-oriented perfectionist that I am, I have a love-hate relationship with goals and To-Do lists. Some might call it a dangerously codependent relationship. As long as everything progresses smoothly I'm content; but the moment circumstances even hint I might not finish something at the time originally planned, up goes my blood pressure by ten points, and out the window goes the common sense that knows regular breaks are good for you.
Although goals can be first-rate achievement tools, business experts have discovered that they have their dark side. "In many situations, the damaging effects of goal setting outweigh its benefits," noted a recent article from Harvard Business School, which recommended the practice be treated as a prescription drug--helpful when used properly, but a disaster waiting to happen if taken indiscriminately in large doses with no eye out for side effects. One of the most harmful of these is the way goal achievement plays on the human tendency toward idolatry: thousands of people have sacrificed their patience, their self-respect, their good judgment, their human relationships, and their health to a mad drive to achieve overambitious goals, a drive that brooks no interruptions in any form. It also reinforces the idea that everything depends on us. If we fail to achieve our goals, we curse ourselves for it; if we succeed, we become dangerously proud of ourselves; and throughout, we see God merely as a source of extreme-emergency support.
"A ‘success without goal setting’ paradigm... overcomes the narrow focus of goals by opening the mind to an array of possibilities and successes," advises one popular motivational speaker. "Live for the moment not the morrow.... Live by a ‘theme.’" Christians serious about the "purpose-driven" approach to life will likely approve. So might the apostle James, who had things to say about being too sure of one's plans; so also the many Bible characters, from David ("One thing I ask of the LORD... to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple," Ps. 27:4) to Paul ("I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord," Phil. 3:8) to Jesus ("seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well," Mt. 6:33), who emphasized that knowing God is the one goal that the wise aspire to.
But we'll never know Him until we learn not to let lesser goals distract our thoughts from His power and glory. Why not set a goal for this month to spend fifteen minutes a day just praising God? I don't advise aiming for more immediately, if you're new to the practice; I know from experience that planning on "hours of prayer" holds the same hazards as any other "try to do too much too soon" goal. If you have trouble managing even fifteen minutes (and I still do), use your favorite Scripture passages or hymns--or the following poem--to guide your thoughts.
All praise and thanksgiving raise high to the Father,
And sing forth in worship with all of your might!
He gives us His blessing; His hand is upon us
To strengthen our cause as we stand for the right!
He heals and refreshes; our food He provides us
As He does for all of the creatures of earth;
He chose us and saved us; He cleans and empowers us;
He guides all our days from the time of our birth.
All praise and thanksgiving raise high to our Savior,
And sing forth in worship with all of your might!
He gives us His blessing; His hand is upon us
To bring us new hope through His glorious light!
He came for our freedom; His touch was our healing,
He reached out in love to the children of earth;
His death was our cleansing; His raising our raising;
And He, in His love, brought us wondrous new birth.
All praise and thanksgiving raise high to the Spirit,
And sing forth in worship with all of your might!
He gives us His blessing; His power is upon us,
And ever encouraging us for the fight!
He brings us His comfort; great gifts He provides us
To use in God’s work that we do on this earth;
His breath is our strengthening, His fire our empowering;
He guides all our days from our time of rebirth.
All praise and thanksgiving raise high in rejoicing,
And sing forth in worship with all of your might!
Our God gives us blessing; His power is upon us
To raise us on upward from height unto height!
His love is eternal, His strength has no limits,
And straight from His hand come all blessings of earth;
So let us sing praises to God Who is for us,
And Who will be bringing a new world to birth!
Although goals can be first-rate achievement tools, business experts have discovered that they have their dark side. "In many situations, the damaging effects of goal setting outweigh its benefits," noted a recent article from Harvard Business School, which recommended the practice be treated as a prescription drug--helpful when used properly, but a disaster waiting to happen if taken indiscriminately in large doses with no eye out for side effects. One of the most harmful of these is the way goal achievement plays on the human tendency toward idolatry: thousands of people have sacrificed their patience, their self-respect, their good judgment, their human relationships, and their health to a mad drive to achieve overambitious goals, a drive that brooks no interruptions in any form. It also reinforces the idea that everything depends on us. If we fail to achieve our goals, we curse ourselves for it; if we succeed, we become dangerously proud of ourselves; and throughout, we see God merely as a source of extreme-emergency support.
"A ‘success without goal setting’ paradigm... overcomes the narrow focus of goals by opening the mind to an array of possibilities and successes," advises one popular motivational speaker. "Live for the moment not the morrow.... Live by a ‘theme.’" Christians serious about the "purpose-driven" approach to life will likely approve. So might the apostle James, who had things to say about being too sure of one's plans; so also the many Bible characters, from David ("One thing I ask of the LORD... to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple," Ps. 27:4) to Paul ("I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord," Phil. 3:8) to Jesus ("seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well," Mt. 6:33), who emphasized that knowing God is the one goal that the wise aspire to.
But we'll never know Him until we learn not to let lesser goals distract our thoughts from His power and glory. Why not set a goal for this month to spend fifteen minutes a day just praising God? I don't advise aiming for more immediately, if you're new to the practice; I know from experience that planning on "hours of prayer" holds the same hazards as any other "try to do too much too soon" goal. If you have trouble managing even fifteen minutes (and I still do), use your favorite Scripture passages or hymns--or the following poem--to guide your thoughts.
All praise and thanksgiving raise high to the Father,
And sing forth in worship with all of your might!
He gives us His blessing; His hand is upon us
To strengthen our cause as we stand for the right!
He heals and refreshes; our food He provides us
As He does for all of the creatures of earth;
He chose us and saved us; He cleans and empowers us;
He guides all our days from the time of our birth.
All praise and thanksgiving raise high to our Savior,
And sing forth in worship with all of your might!
He gives us His blessing; His hand is upon us
To bring us new hope through His glorious light!
He came for our freedom; His touch was our healing,
He reached out in love to the children of earth;
His death was our cleansing; His raising our raising;
And He, in His love, brought us wondrous new birth.
All praise and thanksgiving raise high to the Spirit,
And sing forth in worship with all of your might!
He gives us His blessing; His power is upon us,
And ever encouraging us for the fight!
He brings us His comfort; great gifts He provides us
To use in God’s work that we do on this earth;
His breath is our strengthening, His fire our empowering;
He guides all our days from our time of rebirth.
All praise and thanksgiving raise high in rejoicing,
And sing forth in worship with all of your might!
Our God gives us blessing; His power is upon us
To raise us on upward from height unto height!
His love is eternal, His strength has no limits,
And straight from His hand come all blessings of earth;
So let us sing praises to God Who is for us,
And Who will be bringing a new world to birth!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Sticks and Stones
"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me"--so goes the childhood response to taunts and name-calling. And the Bible would seem to agree: Prov. 26:2 (NIV) says, "Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest."
Yet in the light of everyday experience, the claim that "words can never hurt" seems almost a mockery. The emotional pain of craving approval and receiving abuse is bad enough; but try telling someone who was forced out of a promising career by the fallout from a jealous colleague's slander, or who was beaten unconscious by a mob stirred up by hate speech, that "words can't do you any harm."
Perhaps the childhood chant should go (even if it spoils the rhythm): "Words alone can never hurt me." Even then, there's the caveat "unless I let them." Which is very hard not to do. Human nature wants to be liked, respected, and admired by everyone, which is why many people will do almost anything--even things they know are wrong--to avoid being criticized. Like the first-century Jews who avoided following Jesus openly for fear of being ostracized (Jn. 12:42-43), most of us "love praise from men more than praise from God."
We would do great things for the Kingdom far more often if the only words we cared about hearing (even at the cost of literal sticks and stones or worse) were the Lord's words from Mt. 25:21 and 25:23:
"Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!"
Sticks and stones may break our bones:
Words have a strength that's stranger;
Though they may not draw spurting blood,
They bulge with hidden danger.
The human fear of "what folks think"
Can make a soul grow sour
Until the lust for mortal praise
Consumes each day and hour.
Sticks and stones broke many bones
Of those who spoke for Jesus,
Who stood against opinion's tide
Proclaiming love that frees us.
Those souls who walk the way of God
And live with humble spirit
Draw angry words, but yet are blessed:
They do God's Word and hear it.
Sticks and stones may break our bones,
Or words sting hard and cruel,
If we disdain all earthly praise
To seek the Heavenly Jewel.
But when we turn our ears to Christ--
Our Lord, the Word made living--
No human power can do us harm,
For God His strength is giving.
Those who seek to save their lives,
Or even reputations,
So often trade eternal praise
For earthly commendations.
But those who live for God alone,
Though all they love be broken,
Will gain the greatest prize of all
When Earth's last words are spoken.
Yet in the light of everyday experience, the claim that "words can never hurt" seems almost a mockery. The emotional pain of craving approval and receiving abuse is bad enough; but try telling someone who was forced out of a promising career by the fallout from a jealous colleague's slander, or who was beaten unconscious by a mob stirred up by hate speech, that "words can't do you any harm."
Perhaps the childhood chant should go (even if it spoils the rhythm): "Words alone can never hurt me." Even then, there's the caveat "unless I let them." Which is very hard not to do. Human nature wants to be liked, respected, and admired by everyone, which is why many people will do almost anything--even things they know are wrong--to avoid being criticized. Like the first-century Jews who avoided following Jesus openly for fear of being ostracized (Jn. 12:42-43), most of us "love praise from men more than praise from God."
We would do great things for the Kingdom far more often if the only words we cared about hearing (even at the cost of literal sticks and stones or worse) were the Lord's words from Mt. 25:21 and 25:23:
"Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!"
Sticks and stones may break our bones:
Words have a strength that's stranger;
Though they may not draw spurting blood,
They bulge with hidden danger.
The human fear of "what folks think"
Can make a soul grow sour
Until the lust for mortal praise
Consumes each day and hour.
Sticks and stones broke many bones
Of those who spoke for Jesus,
Who stood against opinion's tide
Proclaiming love that frees us.
Those souls who walk the way of God
And live with humble spirit
Draw angry words, but yet are blessed:
They do God's Word and hear it.
Sticks and stones may break our bones,
Or words sting hard and cruel,
If we disdain all earthly praise
To seek the Heavenly Jewel.
But when we turn our ears to Christ--
Our Lord, the Word made living--
No human power can do us harm,
For God His strength is giving.
Those who seek to save their lives,
Or even reputations,
So often trade eternal praise
For earthly commendations.
But those who live for God alone,
Though all they love be broken,
Will gain the greatest prize of all
When Earth's last words are spoken.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Our Father God, the Lord of All
Another "lyrics for a traditional hymn tune" poem (see entry for July 28), this one inspired by the tune "Mit Freuden Zart," to which is set the hymn "Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above." Discerning readers will notice that my poem also follows the "Trinity" pattern used in another famous hymn, "Come, Thou Almighty King." That is, each of the first three verses praises one Person of the Holy Trinity, while the final verse praises the "Three in One" ("One in Three" in the "Almighty King" hymn).
Our God is a highly multifaceted God, which is one reason we writers never run out of new ways to talk about Him. All-powerful yet gentle and compassionate; the Bringer of avenging justice yet the Pardoner who willingly took the punishment for human wrongdoing; the One Who brings thunder and earthquake and yet (Is. 42:3 and Mt. 12:20) will not break a bruised reed. Many people think that the Old Testament God is "all justice" and the New Testament God is "all mercy." Anyone who reads the entire Bible will quickly see the fallacy in this idea.
Let's not be too quick, however, to criticize those who assert it. A one-sided view of God is a temptation any of us can fall prey to. Some Christians emphasize persecution to an extent that can leave us wondering if it's a sin to get through a day without being spat on; other Christians torment the suffering by insisting that God wants every believer to be healthy and wealthy and that those who aren't have only their own sin or lack of faith to blame. Some Christians assert "God hates the sexually impure" to an extent that not only makes enemies of those who don't wish to reform but discourages those who do from seeking God's help; other Christians lay such emphasis on God's grace that they tempt us to think He doesn't really care if we sin (cf. Rom. 6:1-2). With all of us, the temptation abounds to focus on those verses of Scripture we personally find "convenient" and to ignore the rest.
What we should be ignoring is any suggestion that God is either easy to figure out or in automatic support of our every opinion.
Our Father God, the Lord of All, reigns high above Creation,
The Lord of time, the Lord of space, the God of every nation;
His power and might no human mind can ever probe, nor see behind
The ways of our Foundation.
Our Savior God, the Son of Man, is Lord of all things living,
The Lord of love, the Lord of peace, His mercy freely giving;
His heart is warm, His heart is kind; He urges us to seek and find,
And sing to Him thanksgiving.
Our Leader God, the Comforter, is Heaven’s own strength within us,
The Lord of strength, the Lord of hope, the Lord Who woos to win us;
His power comes forth like burning fire; and in His strength we never tire,
For He is living in us.
The Lord of Lords, the Three in One, deserves all awe and wonder:
He lit the stars that brighten space; His voice speaks in the thunder;
Yet still He stooped to raise us high; and we, in Him, will never die,
We whom His love live under.
Our God is a highly multifaceted God, which is one reason we writers never run out of new ways to talk about Him. All-powerful yet gentle and compassionate; the Bringer of avenging justice yet the Pardoner who willingly took the punishment for human wrongdoing; the One Who brings thunder and earthquake and yet (Is. 42:3 and Mt. 12:20) will not break a bruised reed. Many people think that the Old Testament God is "all justice" and the New Testament God is "all mercy." Anyone who reads the entire Bible will quickly see the fallacy in this idea.
Let's not be too quick, however, to criticize those who assert it. A one-sided view of God is a temptation any of us can fall prey to. Some Christians emphasize persecution to an extent that can leave us wondering if it's a sin to get through a day without being spat on; other Christians torment the suffering by insisting that God wants every believer to be healthy and wealthy and that those who aren't have only their own sin or lack of faith to blame. Some Christians assert "God hates the sexually impure" to an extent that not only makes enemies of those who don't wish to reform but discourages those who do from seeking God's help; other Christians lay such emphasis on God's grace that they tempt us to think He doesn't really care if we sin (cf. Rom. 6:1-2). With all of us, the temptation abounds to focus on those verses of Scripture we personally find "convenient" and to ignore the rest.
What we should be ignoring is any suggestion that God is either easy to figure out or in automatic support of our every opinion.
Our Father God, the Lord of All, reigns high above Creation,
The Lord of time, the Lord of space, the God of every nation;
His power and might no human mind can ever probe, nor see behind
The ways of our Foundation.
Our Savior God, the Son of Man, is Lord of all things living,
The Lord of love, the Lord of peace, His mercy freely giving;
His heart is warm, His heart is kind; He urges us to seek and find,
And sing to Him thanksgiving.
Our Leader God, the Comforter, is Heaven’s own strength within us,
The Lord of strength, the Lord of hope, the Lord Who woos to win us;
His power comes forth like burning fire; and in His strength we never tire,
For He is living in us.
The Lord of Lords, the Three in One, deserves all awe and wonder:
He lit the stars that brighten space; His voice speaks in the thunder;
Yet still He stooped to raise us high; and we, in Him, will never die,
We whom His love live under.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Our God, Who Is One
Having already contributed several poems to my home church's quarterly newsletter, I recently gave the following selection to the music ministry with the suggestion it be sung to the tune "Lyons" (best known among traditional-hymn lovers as the tune used for "O Worship the King").
"Pure worship" songs are relatively rare these days. We thank God for His blessings; we even praise Him for what He has done for us; but we forget to praise Him solely for Who He is. The danger here is that we may be tempted to start thinking it's all about us. If we neglect to keep up the habit of pure praise when times are "good," it will be harder to remember that God is good when we hit those periods where everything seems to go wrong.
When God suddenly seems to toss aside all we expect of Him--when everything happening around us seems to contradict the idea that a good God even exists--do we decide we must have been self-deluded to ever trust Him? Or do we hang on to the solid Truth that "in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28, NIV)? The answer may depend on whether we were in the habit of looking at the "big picture"--God is all-knowing, God sees all things from beginning to end, God is so far above us that we can't hope to understand everything He does--or of thinking of His goodness and provision solely in relation to things we like to see happen. In the latter case, we may set ourselves up as accomplices in the murder of our own faith.
Granted, it's hard for the best of us to remember--really remember from our hearts--that God is still pure and caring and all-powerful when our lives are engulfed in tragedy. The book of Job is worth studying here. When the reverent and God-fearing Job was struck by disaster, his initial reaction was "The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.... Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" (Job 1:20; 2:10); but as his pain dragged on and his friends tormented him with accusations of bringing it on himself, his attitude began to dissolve into "why me?" complaining. Then, in chapters 38-41, God steps in to remind Job Who is in charge of the universe and how weak humans are in comparison. Although Job doesn't learn why he went through all he did, he does come to know God in a new way--which is ultimately enough.
God is not worthy of worship only because He gives us things that make us happy. He is worthy of worship because He is God.
Our God, Who is One, yet Three, for all time,
Is greater by far than grasp of the mind.
The One Who is worthy, Revealer of all,
Is building a Kingdom that never will fall.
He brought forth the world from out of the void;
He sent forth the Flood that cleaned and destroyed.
He chose His own people and gave them His Word;
He led them and fed them, and His voice was heard.
He spoke words that warned; He spoke words that healed,
That pardoned and judged, that blazed and revealed.
And when all seemed hopeless and lost in the night,
He sent the true Word to bring mortals His light.
He walked on this earth; He reached out in love;
He suffered and died to lift us above.
He came from the tomb--He was stronger than death--
Then sent forth fresh power by the wind of His breath.
He still sends His strength to all who believe,
With pardon and peace for those who receive.
His Presence within us, we do glorious things
Through gifts that the Spirit of Holiness brings.
The day soon will come--the time’s drawing near--
When He will return and drive out all fear.
His Kingdom, eternal, forever will stand,
And we will reign with Him in His glorious land.
"Pure worship" songs are relatively rare these days. We thank God for His blessings; we even praise Him for what He has done for us; but we forget to praise Him solely for Who He is. The danger here is that we may be tempted to start thinking it's all about us. If we neglect to keep up the habit of pure praise when times are "good," it will be harder to remember that God is good when we hit those periods where everything seems to go wrong.
When God suddenly seems to toss aside all we expect of Him--when everything happening around us seems to contradict the idea that a good God even exists--do we decide we must have been self-deluded to ever trust Him? Or do we hang on to the solid Truth that "in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28, NIV)? The answer may depend on whether we were in the habit of looking at the "big picture"--God is all-knowing, God sees all things from beginning to end, God is so far above us that we can't hope to understand everything He does--or of thinking of His goodness and provision solely in relation to things we like to see happen. In the latter case, we may set ourselves up as accomplices in the murder of our own faith.
Granted, it's hard for the best of us to remember--really remember from our hearts--that God is still pure and caring and all-powerful when our lives are engulfed in tragedy. The book of Job is worth studying here. When the reverent and God-fearing Job was struck by disaster, his initial reaction was "The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.... Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" (Job 1:20; 2:10); but as his pain dragged on and his friends tormented him with accusations of bringing it on himself, his attitude began to dissolve into "why me?" complaining. Then, in chapters 38-41, God steps in to remind Job Who is in charge of the universe and how weak humans are in comparison. Although Job doesn't learn why he went through all he did, he does come to know God in a new way--which is ultimately enough.
God is not worthy of worship only because He gives us things that make us happy. He is worthy of worship because He is God.
Our God, Who is One, yet Three, for all time,
Is greater by far than grasp of the mind.
The One Who is worthy, Revealer of all,
Is building a Kingdom that never will fall.
He brought forth the world from out of the void;
He sent forth the Flood that cleaned and destroyed.
He chose His own people and gave them His Word;
He led them and fed them, and His voice was heard.
He spoke words that warned; He spoke words that healed,
That pardoned and judged, that blazed and revealed.
And when all seemed hopeless and lost in the night,
He sent the true Word to bring mortals His light.
He walked on this earth; He reached out in love;
He suffered and died to lift us above.
He came from the tomb--He was stronger than death--
Then sent forth fresh power by the wind of His breath.
He still sends His strength to all who believe,
With pardon and peace for those who receive.
His Presence within us, we do glorious things
Through gifts that the Spirit of Holiness brings.
The day soon will come--the time’s drawing near--
When He will return and drive out all fear.
His Kingdom, eternal, forever will stand,
And we will reign with Him in His glorious land.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Come Worship the Lord
If God offered me a choice of any prayer request to be granted instantly, it would be that my mind be permanently freed from "fuming and fretting, worry and hurry." For me, that would be a greater miracle than the healing of an incurable cancer.
The worry-and-fret habit is something of a cancer in itself: it starts small and grows slowly; it's easy to ignore for a while despite warning signs; but if left unchecked, it becomes an all-pervasive nightmare slowly eating away health, energy, even life itself--and when we finally admit that something has to be done, it's nearly always a long, agonizing struggle to get rid of it. Because not only is instant healing as rare as it is wonderful, it almost always comes after the suffering has gone on for a while.
The "worry cancer" has another thing in common with its medical counterpart: when we develop such a problem, it's often largely our own fault. Those who smoke two packs of cigarettes a day are more likely to get lung cancer. Those who stuff themselves with junk food to the point of obesity are more likely to get cancer in their digestive systems. And those who constantly tell themselves "I can't live without this.... I couldn't live with that" are extremely likely to develop the fear-filled mind that is at the root of all fretful and frantic behavior. This is one "illness" that always includes an element of real sin; every worry is based to some degree in the fear of life's not going our way, which is really idolatry--the placing of our own desires at the top of the priority list and the refusal to believe that God can and will do what is best for us. (See Mt. 6:25-34.)
I'm not unsympathetic with those who, whether through natural temperament or the temptations of unusually painful or stressful lives, are more prone than others to develop the worry habit--I have a redwood-sized log in my own eye there. I have, however, learned enough to know that our eyes are a big part of the problem. Remember that, immediately before the "do not worry" passage referenced above, comes the one about not hoarding earthly treasures, about not trying to serve worldly masters along with God--and about focusing our spiritual eyes to let in light rather than darkness? Because the truth is that it's impossible to worry if we are really looking at God and His attributes--His love, power, beauty, and majesty--but most of us prefer the narrow, close-up focus on our immediate circumstances.
The best cure for worry is to spend more time, not only asking God for help, but praising Him for what He is and thanking Him for the things He has done and the things He has promised. Which is why I have devoted this week's poem to worship and adoration.
Come worship the Lord, and give Him your praise--
The Master of time; the Maker of days.
He had no beginning; He will have no end;
And all living things on His nurture depend.
Come worship the Lord, Who stretched out the skies,
Who made every thing that walks, swims, or flies.
He laid out the ocean; He brought forth the land;
And every green thing draws its growth from His hand.
Come worship the Lord, Who leads us in love:
Outlasting all time, He reigns from above.
Earth's empires, though mighty, will pass with the years;
But God's Heavenly Rule outlasts all mortal spheres.
Come worship the Lord, Who sits above all
As King on a throne that never can fall.
Though all lesser powers stand opposed to His reign,
His Power over all shall one day be made plain.
Come worship the Lord, and bow to His rule;
Do not scorn His power and stand with the fool,
Nor serve Him unwillingly, bitter with dread;
But choose Him in love and proclaim Him as Head.
Come worship the Lord: for all of His might,
His touch is so soft, His pressure so light.
Our God is no tyrant abusing His power;
No, He plans our lives with great blessings to shower.
Come worship the Lord; rejoice in His love:
Delight in the peace He sends from above.
When His Kingdom comes, at the end of all days,
At last we shall know the full joy of His praise.
The worry-and-fret habit is something of a cancer in itself: it starts small and grows slowly; it's easy to ignore for a while despite warning signs; but if left unchecked, it becomes an all-pervasive nightmare slowly eating away health, energy, even life itself--and when we finally admit that something has to be done, it's nearly always a long, agonizing struggle to get rid of it. Because not only is instant healing as rare as it is wonderful, it almost always comes after the suffering has gone on for a while.
The "worry cancer" has another thing in common with its medical counterpart: when we develop such a problem, it's often largely our own fault. Those who smoke two packs of cigarettes a day are more likely to get lung cancer. Those who stuff themselves with junk food to the point of obesity are more likely to get cancer in their digestive systems. And those who constantly tell themselves "I can't live without this.... I couldn't live with that" are extremely likely to develop the fear-filled mind that is at the root of all fretful and frantic behavior. This is one "illness" that always includes an element of real sin; every worry is based to some degree in the fear of life's not going our way, which is really idolatry--the placing of our own desires at the top of the priority list and the refusal to believe that God can and will do what is best for us. (See Mt. 6:25-34.)
I'm not unsympathetic with those who, whether through natural temperament or the temptations of unusually painful or stressful lives, are more prone than others to develop the worry habit--I have a redwood-sized log in my own eye there. I have, however, learned enough to know that our eyes are a big part of the problem. Remember that, immediately before the "do not worry" passage referenced above, comes the one about not hoarding earthly treasures, about not trying to serve worldly masters along with God--and about focusing our spiritual eyes to let in light rather than darkness? Because the truth is that it's impossible to worry if we are really looking at God and His attributes--His love, power, beauty, and majesty--but most of us prefer the narrow, close-up focus on our immediate circumstances.
The best cure for worry is to spend more time, not only asking God for help, but praising Him for what He is and thanking Him for the things He has done and the things He has promised. Which is why I have devoted this week's poem to worship and adoration.
Come worship the Lord, and give Him your praise--
The Master of time; the Maker of days.
He had no beginning; He will have no end;
And all living things on His nurture depend.
Come worship the Lord, Who stretched out the skies,
Who made every thing that walks, swims, or flies.
He laid out the ocean; He brought forth the land;
And every green thing draws its growth from His hand.
Come worship the Lord, Who leads us in love:
Outlasting all time, He reigns from above.
Earth's empires, though mighty, will pass with the years;
But God's Heavenly Rule outlasts all mortal spheres.
Come worship the Lord, Who sits above all
As King on a throne that never can fall.
Though all lesser powers stand opposed to His reign,
His Power over all shall one day be made plain.
Come worship the Lord, and bow to His rule;
Do not scorn His power and stand with the fool,
Nor serve Him unwillingly, bitter with dread;
But choose Him in love and proclaim Him as Head.
Come worship the Lord: for all of His might,
His touch is so soft, His pressure so light.
Our God is no tyrant abusing His power;
No, He plans our lives with great blessings to shower.
Come worship the Lord; rejoice in His love:
Delight in the peace He sends from above.
When His Kingdom comes, at the end of all days,
At last we shall know the full joy of His praise.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
All Earth Sings
What is your favorite song? A classic hymn? A modern pop piece? An old Christmas carol? I'd personally be hard-pressed to name a single favorite, or even make a top ten list. A lifetime of church music, radio, and various concerts has permanently imprinted dozens of much-loved songs in my brain.
Virtually every culture includes song among its traditions. There's something about the blending of music and poetry that infiltrates both sides of the brain and sinks deep into heart and soul. And for all the worries about "angry songs" that stir listeners to rebellious attitudes and outright violence, spontaneous singing is still associated primarily with happiness.
Of all the ways we reflect God's image, our love of song may be the most profound. Zeph. 3:17 (NIV) says that God "rejoice[s] over" us "with singing," so our longing to give the same to Him only makes sense. The NIV uses the word "sing" and its close derivatives (sang/singing/song) over three hundred times, mostly in reference to worship. Metaphorically speaking at least, even Creation sings, and not just through birds; even "the mountains and hills will burst into song" (Is. 55:12) when we open ourselves to our Lord's voice.
If we allow ourselves to regard God's works with the awe He deserves, we may soon find ourselves singing along.
The robin sings in the morning,
Sings to welcome the coming day:
All earth sings to the God of sunrise,
Who chases the darkness away.
The river sings in the daytime,
Sings as swiftly along it flows:
All earth sings to the God of sunlight,
As, shining, the waterway glows.
The breezes sing in the evening,
Calling workers to come and rest:
All earth sings to the God of sunset,
Who stretched out the sky east to west.
The raindrops sing in the nighttime,
Lulling all into peaceful sleep:
All earth sings to the God of Heaven,
Who soothes us when darkness grows deep.
The bluebird sings in the sunlight,
And the owl calls out to the moon:
All earth sings through the day- and nighttime--
And calls us to join in its tune.
Virtually every culture includes song among its traditions. There's something about the blending of music and poetry that infiltrates both sides of the brain and sinks deep into heart and soul. And for all the worries about "angry songs" that stir listeners to rebellious attitudes and outright violence, spontaneous singing is still associated primarily with happiness.
Of all the ways we reflect God's image, our love of song may be the most profound. Zeph. 3:17 (NIV) says that God "rejoice[s] over" us "with singing," so our longing to give the same to Him only makes sense. The NIV uses the word "sing" and its close derivatives (sang/singing/song) over three hundred times, mostly in reference to worship. Metaphorically speaking at least, even Creation sings, and not just through birds; even "the mountains and hills will burst into song" (Is. 55:12) when we open ourselves to our Lord's voice.
If we allow ourselves to regard God's works with the awe He deserves, we may soon find ourselves singing along.
The robin sings in the morning,
Sings to welcome the coming day:
All earth sings to the God of sunrise,
Who chases the darkness away.
The river sings in the daytime,
Sings as swiftly along it flows:
All earth sings to the God of sunlight,
As, shining, the waterway glows.
The breezes sing in the evening,
Calling workers to come and rest:
All earth sings to the God of sunset,
Who stretched out the sky east to west.
The raindrops sing in the nighttime,
Lulling all into peaceful sleep:
All earth sings to the God of Heaven,
Who soothes us when darkness grows deep.
The bluebird sings in the sunlight,
And the owl calls out to the moon:
All earth sings through the day- and nighttime--
And calls us to join in its tune.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Lost in Praise
Have you ever worshiped God so completely that for the moment nothing else matters? Much Christian "worship" is so monotone and unemotional that outsiders and insiders alike joke about the "frozen chosen." There is no shortage of church services where a single spontaneous "Hallelujah!" would get a person thrown out for creating a disturbance. One such person is said to have protested, "But I was just rejoicing that I've found the Lord!"
The usher replied, "Well, I'm sure you didn't find Him here!" Indeed, one wonders if God is as bored by some church services as the congregants apparently are.
Whatever the origin of the idea that worship must be super-dignified, it isn't recent. In 2 Samuel 6:13-22, King David was so full of praise for God that he expressed it physically, dancing about "with all his might" (v. 14, NIV). Latter-day disco dancers and break dancers probably could have shown no less enthusiasm. Presumably God was pleased; but not everyone was. When David got home from the celebration, his wife greeted him with a sarcastic scolding for his "vulgar" behavior.
Even if our temperaments or church traditions aren't conducive to exuberant physical worship, surely we can occasionally allow God's greatness and all He has done for us to overcome us with awe and gratitude. Too few of us regularly know the joy of becoming so lost in prayer or song that minutes and hours fly past unnoticed; we're more likely to keep checking our watches and to grumble if the sermon doesn't end on schedule.
If we find ourselves regarding church and Bible reading as dull obligations, and our prayer lives are virtually nonexistent, maybe it's because we are in effect hearing God's Word with deaf ears. Have "God created the heavens and the earth" and "Jesus laid down His life for us" become mere religious cliches in our indifferent brains; or do we ever stop to consider how wonderful such truths really are? Those who not only read Scripture, but make its real meaning the primary focus of their thought lives (cf. Ps. 1:2-3), rarely find worship boring or difficult.
In Heaven, we will worship God forever--and enjoy every bit of it. Why not start practicing right now?
To sing the songs of pure praise of God
And to lose yourself in the joy;
To pray with no sense of the passing hours,
And no wandering thoughts to annoy;
To set aside even your pet concerns,
And to see only God Himself:
This is surely to worship in spirit and truth,
To seek God and forget all else.
But weak mortal minds will fall ever short
Of the Heavenly realms' ideal;
Some earthly concern always will intrude,
And diminish our spirits' zeal.
It is only through Christ and His holy blood,
That was spilled for our own poor sake,
That we ever can hope to behold our Lord,
And of worship to Him partake.
So fill up your mind with His Holy Word
And be ever seeking His will;
Think on His great works and His mighty deeds;
Bid your wandering thoughts be still;
And remember above every other thing:
It was He alone Who found you,
So place none of your faith in your own soul's strength,
But in He Who alone is true!
The usher replied, "Well, I'm sure you didn't find Him here!" Indeed, one wonders if God is as bored by some church services as the congregants apparently are.
Whatever the origin of the idea that worship must be super-dignified, it isn't recent. In 2 Samuel 6:13-22, King David was so full of praise for God that he expressed it physically, dancing about "with all his might" (v. 14, NIV). Latter-day disco dancers and break dancers probably could have shown no less enthusiasm. Presumably God was pleased; but not everyone was. When David got home from the celebration, his wife greeted him with a sarcastic scolding for his "vulgar" behavior.
Even if our temperaments or church traditions aren't conducive to exuberant physical worship, surely we can occasionally allow God's greatness and all He has done for us to overcome us with awe and gratitude. Too few of us regularly know the joy of becoming so lost in prayer or song that minutes and hours fly past unnoticed; we're more likely to keep checking our watches and to grumble if the sermon doesn't end on schedule.
If we find ourselves regarding church and Bible reading as dull obligations, and our prayer lives are virtually nonexistent, maybe it's because we are in effect hearing God's Word with deaf ears. Have "God created the heavens and the earth" and "Jesus laid down His life for us" become mere religious cliches in our indifferent brains; or do we ever stop to consider how wonderful such truths really are? Those who not only read Scripture, but make its real meaning the primary focus of their thought lives (cf. Ps. 1:2-3), rarely find worship boring or difficult.
In Heaven, we will worship God forever--and enjoy every bit of it. Why not start practicing right now?
To sing the songs of pure praise of God
And to lose yourself in the joy;
To pray with no sense of the passing hours,
And no wandering thoughts to annoy;
To set aside even your pet concerns,
And to see only God Himself:
This is surely to worship in spirit and truth,
To seek God and forget all else.
But weak mortal minds will fall ever short
Of the Heavenly realms' ideal;
Some earthly concern always will intrude,
And diminish our spirits' zeal.
It is only through Christ and His holy blood,
That was spilled for our own poor sake,
That we ever can hope to behold our Lord,
And of worship to Him partake.
So fill up your mind with His Holy Word
And be ever seeking His will;
Think on His great works and His mighty deeds;
Bid your wandering thoughts be still;
And remember above every other thing:
It was He alone Who found you,
So place none of your faith in your own soul's strength,
But in He Who alone is true!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
The Song of Sevens
Not that I want to slip into superstition about "lucky" or "magic" numbers, but the recurrence of certain numbers in Scripture does suggest that God has some fondness for them. Take the number forty, for instance: it rained forty days in the time of Noah (Gen. 7:11-12); Moses spent forty days on Mount Sinai (Ex. 24:18); the Israelites spent forty years in the wilderness (Ex. 16:35, among other passages); and Jesus fasted forty days before His temptation (Mt. 4:1-2). Or consider the twelve tribes of Israel; twelve apostles; and twelve foundations and twelve gates of the Heavenly Jerusalem.
One number that appears in several significant Bible passages is a number that has acquired a general reputation for being lucky: seven. To the class of super-logical mathematicians (where I admittedly hold no membership), seven might seem a strange number to honor: it is neither small enough to be a basic unit like a two or a three, nor evenly divisible into any smaller units besides ones; and few extensively used larger numbers can be divided evenly by seven (even the seventy years traditionally estimated for the human life span now seems lost to an era of greater longevity). Why does seven, rather than a rounder figure like six or ten, so often seem to represent perfection in Scripture: seven days in the week; seven years of work for Jacob to marry each of his wives; seven days (ending in seven circuits around the city, led by seven priests) to bring about the fall of Jericho; seven deacons in the early Church?
Maybe I'm being whimsical here--and I definitely don't presume to be reading God's mind on the matter--but I wonder if He chose an odd number, and one not divisible without leaving something out, partly because He places high value on the oddball, the nonconformist, the person who always seems to be left out?
Certainly He has used many such people in amazing ways.
Seven were the days which God set for the week,
One set aside so His face we would seek.
Seven are the hues in the rainbow's bright gleam,
Set in the sky once the world was washed clean.
Seven were the times the troops circled around
Till Jericho's walls came a-tumbling down.
Seven were the foods Jesus blessed with head bowed--
Five loaves, two fish, fed a whole hungry crowd.
Seven were the deacons when the Church yet was new,
Servants who all would work hard as it grew.
Seven were the churches Christ named from His throne:
He Who is holy, is holy alone.
Seven are the verses in this song I have sung:
Let us give praise for the things God has done.
One number that appears in several significant Bible passages is a number that has acquired a general reputation for being lucky: seven. To the class of super-logical mathematicians (where I admittedly hold no membership), seven might seem a strange number to honor: it is neither small enough to be a basic unit like a two or a three, nor evenly divisible into any smaller units besides ones; and few extensively used larger numbers can be divided evenly by seven (even the seventy years traditionally estimated for the human life span now seems lost to an era of greater longevity). Why does seven, rather than a rounder figure like six or ten, so often seem to represent perfection in Scripture: seven days in the week; seven years of work for Jacob to marry each of his wives; seven days (ending in seven circuits around the city, led by seven priests) to bring about the fall of Jericho; seven deacons in the early Church?
Maybe I'm being whimsical here--and I definitely don't presume to be reading God's mind on the matter--but I wonder if He chose an odd number, and one not divisible without leaving something out, partly because He places high value on the oddball, the nonconformist, the person who always seems to be left out?
Certainly He has used many such people in amazing ways.
Seven were the days which God set for the week,
One set aside so His face we would seek.
Seven are the hues in the rainbow's bright gleam,
Set in the sky once the world was washed clean.
Seven were the times the troops circled around
Till Jericho's walls came a-tumbling down.
Seven were the foods Jesus blessed with head bowed--
Five loaves, two fish, fed a whole hungry crowd.
Seven were the deacons when the Church yet was new,
Servants who all would work hard as it grew.
Seven were the churches Christ named from His throne:
He Who is holy, is holy alone.
Seven are the verses in this song I have sung:
Let us give praise for the things God has done.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
All Praise to the Lord
Praying for help with our problems has its place. Thanking God for His answers to prayer (and His other blessings) is essential. But few of us give adequate attention to what should take up the largest share of our prayer time: pure adoration, praising God for all that He is.
The trouble with focusing on the asking part of prayer is that it keeps our focus on our concerns and on what we want--frequently to the point that our problems and desires start to look bigger than God. Like the student who gets 99% on the toughest test of the year and sinks into misery over not making 100, we effectively call the trivial vital and the vital trivial.
The best cure? For every request you make of God, find four things to praise Him for! Try a few of the following for starters.
All praise to the Lord, the Maker of all--
The stars and the stones; the great and the small;
The seas and the lakes; the clays and the sand;
The sun and the moon; the air and the land.
All praise to the Lord, the Gardener of earth,
Who makes all things grow, Who gives the seeds birth.
The trees and the flowers, the mushrooms and reeds,
Spring forth by His power; He meets all their needs.
All praise to the Lord, the Giver of breath,
The Ruler of life, the Master of death:
The birds and the beasts, the insects, the fish,
The frogs and the mites--all live by His wish.
All praise to the Lord, the Father of men,
Who gave Adam life, and all after him.
Each baby who comes to breathe on this earth
Is sent in God's love, and blessed at its birth.
All praise to the Lord, Who makes all things new,
Who seeks wandering souls, Who paid our sins' due.
The day soon shall come, when all who trust Him
Shall sing a new world's eternal Amen!
The trouble with focusing on the asking part of prayer is that it keeps our focus on our concerns and on what we want--frequently to the point that our problems and desires start to look bigger than God. Like the student who gets 99% on the toughest test of the year and sinks into misery over not making 100, we effectively call the trivial vital and the vital trivial.
The best cure? For every request you make of God, find four things to praise Him for! Try a few of the following for starters.
All praise to the Lord, the Maker of all--
The stars and the stones; the great and the small;
The seas and the lakes; the clays and the sand;
The sun and the moon; the air and the land.
All praise to the Lord, the Gardener of earth,
Who makes all things grow, Who gives the seeds birth.
The trees and the flowers, the mushrooms and reeds,
Spring forth by His power; He meets all their needs.
All praise to the Lord, the Giver of breath,
The Ruler of life, the Master of death:
The birds and the beasts, the insects, the fish,
The frogs and the mites--all live by His wish.
All praise to the Lord, the Father of men,
Who gave Adam life, and all after him.
Each baby who comes to breathe on this earth
Is sent in God's love, and blessed at its birth.
All praise to the Lord, Who makes all things new,
Who seeks wandering souls, Who paid our sins' due.
The day soon shall come, when all who trust Him
Shall sing a new world's eternal Amen!
Monday, February 18, 2008
Sing to Me, O Mockingbird
Here in south Texas, the birds rarely wait until spring--or even March--to begin their mating songs. Indeed, some of our year-round residents have already been at it for a couple of weeks.
The cardinal is a beautiful bird and a fine singer, but the Texas emblem--the mockingbird--puts on the best show. Mockingbirds imitate every other song in the neighborhood, their constant jumping from tune to tune being the only sure way to identify them by their voices. At the height of spring ardor, mockingbirds sing almost 24/7 (they have been known to keep people awake at night); and they "dance," too, constantly bouncing into the air from their perches as if to say, "Look at me! Look at me!"
Ornithologists say that birds sing for purely practical reasons--to attract mates and establish territorial borders--but it's hard to hear the music and not believe that God's feathered musicians are also expressing joy in just being alive. "The winter is past... Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come" (Song of Solomon 2:11-12, NIV). All praises to God, Who renews life, Whom even the oceans, the trees, and the rocks find worthy of praise (see 1 Chronicles 16:32-33; Luke 19:37-40).
Sing to me, O mockingbird:
Sing me a song of God's gifts to the world.
Sing of the trees and their budding leaves;
Sing of fresh air and the gentle breeze.
Sing of the flowers in brilliant shades;
Sing of the frost and its silver glaze.
Sing of the sea where the dolphins play,
Of gulls soaring over a turquoise bay.
Sing of the sun in April skies,
Of bright blue days under Heaven's eyes,
When the chill of winter has finally gone
And the heat of summer still lies beyond.
Sing of bright warblers flitting through
Fresh-budding trees, flashing yellow hue;
Sing of the bluebirds with bright red breasts,
And the meadowlark in its golden vest.
Sing of the moon in each glowing phase,
Bouncing off silver and pure white rays;
Sing of the stars on a country night,
Blazing in endless jewels of light.
Sing to me, O mockingbird:
Sing me a song of God's gifts to the world.
The cardinal is a beautiful bird and a fine singer, but the Texas emblem--the mockingbird--puts on the best show. Mockingbirds imitate every other song in the neighborhood, their constant jumping from tune to tune being the only sure way to identify them by their voices. At the height of spring ardor, mockingbirds sing almost 24/7 (they have been known to keep people awake at night); and they "dance," too, constantly bouncing into the air from their perches as if to say, "Look at me! Look at me!"
Ornithologists say that birds sing for purely practical reasons--to attract mates and establish territorial borders--but it's hard to hear the music and not believe that God's feathered musicians are also expressing joy in just being alive. "The winter is past... Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come" (Song of Solomon 2:11-12, NIV). All praises to God, Who renews life, Whom even the oceans, the trees, and the rocks find worthy of praise (see 1 Chronicles 16:32-33; Luke 19:37-40).
Sing to me, O mockingbird:
Sing me a song of God's gifts to the world.
Sing of the trees and their budding leaves;
Sing of fresh air and the gentle breeze.
Sing of the flowers in brilliant shades;
Sing of the frost and its silver glaze.
Sing of the sea where the dolphins play,
Of gulls soaring over a turquoise bay.
Sing of the sun in April skies,
Of bright blue days under Heaven's eyes,
When the chill of winter has finally gone
And the heat of summer still lies beyond.
Sing of bright warblers flitting through
Fresh-budding trees, flashing yellow hue;
Sing of the bluebirds with bright red breasts,
And the meadowlark in its golden vest.
Sing of the moon in each glowing phase,
Bouncing off silver and pure white rays;
Sing of the stars on a country night,
Blazing in endless jewels of light.
Sing to me, O mockingbird:
Sing me a song of God's gifts to the world.
Monday, February 11, 2008
There Can Be No Joy without Praise
Continuing the last post's "praise first, petition second" theme: if you talk about your difficulties, you'll only talk yourself into further worry. If you praise God, you'll strengthen yourself to let go and let Him deal with your problems--in the way He knows is best.
Someone probably is thinking right now, "That's easy to say if your worst problem is shortage of funds to buy a yacht. But I've got cancer/my husband just left me with three small children/our house burned down and we don't have insurance/I've been out of work for six months--how can I possibly think of anything but my problems?"
Well, if you think your troubles are bad, consider Job. He had just about every tragedy that could happen to a person--financial ruin, loss of family, chronic illness--hit him in rapid succession; and to top it off, his best friends kept telling him he must have brought it on himself. He had all but demanded an audience with God so he could prove he had done nothing to deserve all this. And then God showed up--to confront Job with the full force of His power and authority. Job's response? He stopped complaining about his pain. He stopped protesting the injustice of life. All he could do was admit his unworthiness, and apologize for his presumptive attitudes (Job 40:3-5; 42:1-6).
We tend to forget that God not only doesn't owe us problem-free lives, He doesn't owe us anything at all. For all the derisive comments about "pie in the sky by and by," it's unmistakably true that if God only saved our souls while denying us all earthly blessings, that would still be infinitely more than we deserve. The more we realize that, the closer we move toward being able to find happiness in the only place that counts--in God alone.
But we'll never make any progress in that direction until we learn to consistently praise Him for Who He is.
Does your soul feel heavy and burdened?
Do gloom and despair stalk your days?
Try counting the Lord's great attributes:
There can be no joy without praise.
We talk about counting our blessings,
And that stands among the best ways,
But do not forget--bless the Giver!
There can be no joy without praise.
For even the richest of blessings,
If they're to preeminence raised,
Soon grow dull and taken for granted:
There can be no joy without praise.
God's mercies are new every morning,
God's light stands out even through haze,
God's glory outshines all earth's treasures:
There can be no joy without praise.
So do thank the Lord for His blessings,
But thank Him the more for His grace,
And let what He is overwhelm you:
There can be no joy without praise.
Confession will free you from burdens;
Thanksgiving will sharpen your gaze,
But if you'd be always rejoicing,
Be sure to keep singing God's praise!
Someone probably is thinking right now, "That's easy to say if your worst problem is shortage of funds to buy a yacht. But I've got cancer/my husband just left me with three small children/our house burned down and we don't have insurance/I've been out of work for six months--how can I possibly think of anything but my problems?"
Well, if you think your troubles are bad, consider Job. He had just about every tragedy that could happen to a person--financial ruin, loss of family, chronic illness--hit him in rapid succession; and to top it off, his best friends kept telling him he must have brought it on himself. He had all but demanded an audience with God so he could prove he had done nothing to deserve all this. And then God showed up--to confront Job with the full force of His power and authority. Job's response? He stopped complaining about his pain. He stopped protesting the injustice of life. All he could do was admit his unworthiness, and apologize for his presumptive attitudes (Job 40:3-5; 42:1-6).
We tend to forget that God not only doesn't owe us problem-free lives, He doesn't owe us anything at all. For all the derisive comments about "pie in the sky by and by," it's unmistakably true that if God only saved our souls while denying us all earthly blessings, that would still be infinitely more than we deserve. The more we realize that, the closer we move toward being able to find happiness in the only place that counts--in God alone.
But we'll never make any progress in that direction until we learn to consistently praise Him for Who He is.
Does your soul feel heavy and burdened?
Do gloom and despair stalk your days?
Try counting the Lord's great attributes:
There can be no joy without praise.
We talk about counting our blessings,
And that stands among the best ways,
But do not forget--bless the Giver!
There can be no joy without praise.
For even the richest of blessings,
If they're to preeminence raised,
Soon grow dull and taken for granted:
There can be no joy without praise.
God's mercies are new every morning,
God's light stands out even through haze,
God's glory outshines all earth's treasures:
There can be no joy without praise.
So do thank the Lord for His blessings,
But thank Him the more for His grace,
And let what He is overwhelm you:
There can be no joy without praise.
Confession will free you from burdens;
Thanksgiving will sharpen your gaze,
But if you'd be always rejoicing,
Be sure to keep singing God's praise!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Let Me Hear God's Music
What is your favorite music style? I have always liked songs in the folk/country/gospel tradition, as well as hymns. Classical music, having no lyrics to hold my easily distracted attention, rates somewhat lower. Nor do I personally care much for the harder and less melodious modern styles, though I agree with those who say there is no bad music (in the moral sense), only bad lyrics.
The idea of the "best" music of course varies widely from generation to generation and from country to country. But virtually every culture has some sort of musical tradition. Genesis 4 records the first musical instruments as dating back to at least the seventh generation after Adam (v. 21). And the Hebrews worshiped God with music since before the building of the first Temple (cf. 1 Samuel 10:5; 2 Samuel 6:5).
The human love of music is yet another reflection of God's image in us. Even at creation, the Bible says, "the morning stars sang together" (Job 38:7a, NIV, emphasis added). The angels sing constant praises to God, as do the saints in heaven (Rev. 5:8-10, 11-13).
When we on earth contemplate God's glory, and His handiwork in Creation, we can catch faint strains of that heavenly music.
Creation sang God's glory in the beginning,
And the music will continue in the world to be:
Let me carry the songs of the Lord in me every day of my life,
And let heaven's music hear its voice expressed through me.
Let me hear God's music
Whether the sky is blue or gray;
Let me share God's music
With a world so often dark and drear;
Let me sing God's music
To show the way home to some poor hurting soul;
Let me give God's music
To a lonely world that longs to hear.
As the angels sang God's glory at the Savior's birth,
Showing the world a light that would shine from that day on,
Let me carry the songs of the Lord to a world longing for the Light;
Let me bear the torch that will guide to the final Dawn.
Let me hear God's music
Whether the sky is blue or gray;
Let me share God's music
With a world so often dark and drear;
Let me sing God's music
To show the way home to some poor hurting soul;
Let me give God's music
To a lonely world that longs to hear.
Let me hear God's music
Whether the sky is blue or gray;
Let me share God's music
With a world so often dark and drear;
Let me sing God's music
To show the way home to some poor hurting soul;
Let me give God's music
To a lonely world that longs to hear.
The idea of the "best" music of course varies widely from generation to generation and from country to country. But virtually every culture has some sort of musical tradition. Genesis 4 records the first musical instruments as dating back to at least the seventh generation after Adam (v. 21). And the Hebrews worshiped God with music since before the building of the first Temple (cf. 1 Samuel 10:5; 2 Samuel 6:5).
The human love of music is yet another reflection of God's image in us. Even at creation, the Bible says, "the morning stars sang together" (Job 38:7a, NIV, emphasis added). The angels sing constant praises to God, as do the saints in heaven (Rev. 5:8-10, 11-13).
When we on earth contemplate God's glory, and His handiwork in Creation, we can catch faint strains of that heavenly music.
Creation sang God's glory in the beginning,
And the music will continue in the world to be:
Let me carry the songs of the Lord in me every day of my life,
And let heaven's music hear its voice expressed through me.
Let me hear God's music
Whether the sky is blue or gray;
Let me share God's music
With a world so often dark and drear;
Let me sing God's music
To show the way home to some poor hurting soul;
Let me give God's music
To a lonely world that longs to hear.
As the angels sang God's glory at the Savior's birth,
Showing the world a light that would shine from that day on,
Let me carry the songs of the Lord to a world longing for the Light;
Let me bear the torch that will guide to the final Dawn.
Let me hear God's music
Whether the sky is blue or gray;
Let me share God's music
With a world so often dark and drear;
Let me sing God's music
To show the way home to some poor hurting soul;
Let me give God's music
To a lonely world that longs to hear.
Let me hear God's music
Whether the sky is blue or gray;
Let me share God's music
With a world so often dark and drear;
Let me sing God's music
To show the way home to some poor hurting soul;
Let me give God's music
To a lonely world that longs to hear.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Sing Praises to God
How often do you pray? More importantly, how do you pray?
Many of us lead prayer lives that, if we saw a week's worth written out, would make us blush with shame to realize how much like spoiled children we sound. "I want this." "When are You going to give me that?" "Why didn't You give me those?" "Why don't You do something about all these problems?!!" And what "thank Yous" we remember to say are in reference to specific, obvious, and unusual blessings--and far outnumbered by demands and complaints.
One antidote for a sense of entitlement is to use the ACTS approach to prayer: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. We start by praising God simply for what He is; then remember how unworthy we are to receive anything from Him; then count all the blessings He graciously gives us anyway; and only then, after finishing with the important stuff, tell Him what we still feel we need.
Often the first step, Adoration, is the hardest. Some of us feel self-conscious showering anyone--even God--with streams of undiluted praise. Others of us get tongue-tied by the feeling it doesn't count unless we produce great poetry. If you have problems there, try starting with a few Biblical psalms or classic hymns, reading them--even aloud--with all your heart.
And by all means feel free to write down your thoughts as they follow.
Sing praises to God, Who reigns over all:
The stars and the suns respond to His call.
All things of this earth were made by His hand:
The beasts and the birds, the sea and the land.
Sing praises to God, Redeemer of souls:
He loves and forgives; He makes all things whole.
He guides every life that yields to His will;
Through hardship and peace, He stands by us still.
Sings praises to God, Who heals and restores:
He seeks out lost souls; He ever is Lord.
The time soon shall come, the end of earth's days,
When all evermore will sing to His praise.
Many of us lead prayer lives that, if we saw a week's worth written out, would make us blush with shame to realize how much like spoiled children we sound. "I want this." "When are You going to give me that?" "Why didn't You give me those?" "Why don't You do something about all these problems?!!" And what "thank Yous" we remember to say are in reference to specific, obvious, and unusual blessings--and far outnumbered by demands and complaints.
One antidote for a sense of entitlement is to use the ACTS approach to prayer: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. We start by praising God simply for what He is; then remember how unworthy we are to receive anything from Him; then count all the blessings He graciously gives us anyway; and only then, after finishing with the important stuff, tell Him what we still feel we need.
Often the first step, Adoration, is the hardest. Some of us feel self-conscious showering anyone--even God--with streams of undiluted praise. Others of us get tongue-tied by the feeling it doesn't count unless we produce great poetry. If you have problems there, try starting with a few Biblical psalms or classic hymns, reading them--even aloud--with all your heart.
And by all means feel free to write down your thoughts as they follow.
Sing praises to God, Who reigns over all:
The stars and the suns respond to His call.
All things of this earth were made by His hand:
The beasts and the birds, the sea and the land.
Sing praises to God, Redeemer of souls:
He loves and forgives; He makes all things whole.
He guides every life that yields to His will;
Through hardship and peace, He stands by us still.
Sings praises to God, Who heals and restores:
He seeks out lost souls; He ever is Lord.
The time soon shall come, the end of earth's days,
When all evermore will sing to His praise.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
