My friends, Psalm 150, this great psalm of doxology, this psalm that reminds us to praise God over and again, this Psalm 150 is a reminder to us that all our lives are made to praise God differently! And while the ways of the world might tell us to allow those differences to divide us, to cause us to think, to BELIEVE, that one way of praising God is better than another, and that the better way is OUR way, the reality is that the way of blessing is to praise God in whatever way YOU are inclined to praise God and to both allow and encourage every other to praise God in whatever way EACH is inclined to praise God.
First Christian Church, Grand Junction – Praising God, Changing Lives!
First Christian Church, Grand Junction – Praising God, Changing Lives!
'Psalms' Tagged Sermons
Now, I want to give you a chance to experience what those Israelites experienced…because Psalms of Salvation History don’t have to be confined to the past; they don’t have to be confined to the Old Testament or to the book of the Psalms. God has been working amazing deeds for Christians, for US, for thousands of years. And we can write and recite Psalms of Salvation History in OUR time as we prepare for the future God has in store for us.
But, at every congregation I have served, there’s a lot more paying attention to the problems than there is paying attention to what God is DOING about them. And when we stop paying attention to what God is doing about them, or we pay attention but don’t say anything when we notice, we wander down the path of the way of perishing instead of the way of blessing. We start complaining more. We increasingly think life is a curse instead of a blessing. We increasingly lose sight of the reality that God is FOR us (that God LOVES us) instead of thinking that God is neutral or even against us. We lose trust in God because we aren’t reminded that God is constantly acting in ways that demonstrate God’s trustworthiness. In sum, we start to resemble something very DIFFERENT than the people of God.
So, here’s the thing. Trusting in God doesn’t mean that you’ll get whatever YOU want. It doesn’t mean that the reasons that might cause you to fear will go away – that you will experience no hardship or challenge in life. But it does mean that you will come to know that God’s way, God’s big picture, is bigger and better than ANY other way, even the way of your desires.
I read from a commentator on Psalm 113 this week these words: “Such a faith (as that of the psalmist in Psalm 113) makes all the difference in life.” Wouldn’t you agree? If, no matter what situation you find yourself in, no matter how bad it gets, you KNOW deep down, that the almighty and all-powerful creator of the heavens and the earth is AWARE of your situation and will work to resolve it, to bring you from pain to blessing….if you KNOW that, doesn’t it make all the difference?
The psalms, they provide great clues, great advice, for how to live a life of blessing. That kind of life, it’s a choice. It’s there for the taking. All you have to do is follow the way of God. Follow the way of God, and God will watch over you, and prosperity – however God defines it – will be yours. Follow any OTHER way and, well, watch out.