Tag: praise

Look Up (Isaiah 42:10-18)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment

Sing to the Lord a new song,
    his praise from the end of the earth!
Let the sea roar and all that fills it,
    the coastlands and their inhabitants.
Let the desert and its towns lift up their voice,
    the villages that Kedar inhabits;
let the inhabitants of Sela shout for joy;
    let them shout from the tops of the mountains.
Let them give glory to the Lord
    and declare his praise in the coastlands.
The Lord goes forth like a soldier;
    like a warrior he stirs up his fury;
he cries out; he shouts aloud;
    he shows himself mighty against his foes.

For a long time I have held my peace;
    I have kept still and restrained myself;
now I will cry out like a woman in labor;
    I will gasp and pant.
I will lay waste mountains and hills
    and dry up all their herbage;
I will turn the rivers into islands
    and dry up the pools.
I will lead the blind
    by a road they do not know;
by paths they have not known
    I will guide them.
I will turn the darkness before them into light,
    the rough places into level ground.
These are the things I will do,
    and I will not forsake them.
They shall be turned back and utterly put to shame—
    those who trust in carved images,
who say to cast images,
    “You are our gods.”

Listen, you who are deaf,
    and you who are blind, look up and see! (New Revised Standard Version)

All creation, along with all creatures, are to praise the Lord. The coastlands and borderlands serve as witnesses to God’s justice and to human injustice.

The trees aren’t just standing there with their majestic trunks and branches. They are present to any and all of the wickedness that people may do.They experience all good that God does, and the evil which humanity does.

The rocks, the hills, the plants, all that is alive around us are sacred witnesses to what is happening on this earth – both the good and the bad.

All of creation declares God’s praise, and testifies to God of what is going on in the world.

As a result, the Lord is roused to action; God comes to attention like a soldier and is ready to move out.

The Lord will lead the (spiritually) blind in new directions. God’s active participation will put to shame all the people who trust in alternative gods or other things.

The prophet Isaiah says that the people were called to look up and see.

Everyone, look up. Look. Up.

Because the Lord knows that if folks will look up, and see God, that it changes everything for them.

We are invited to look up and sing praises to the Lord. The singers include every creature on earth, the oceans, the seas, the waters, the desert, the coast, the land, and the people.

Look up and see that God is about to act. And the action will be good for some, and not so good for others.

Whenever God moves, you know it. There will be some noise to it, like a woman in labor.

Nothing is beyond the reach of God. The Lord will do divine work of building up, tearing down, and building up again – all according to the divine will.

God will act on behalf of the faithful, the humble, the needy, and all those who look to the Lord. So, we must look up.

We cannot see what is happening, or who is there, if our heads are down. Everything has the potential to be different and changed if we will but lift our heads and look up.

There are a lot of reasons why we may be looking down. We might believe God doesn’t see or isn’t watching. But the Lord is neither deaf nor blind – we are. For us to notice, we must look up.

We may lack self-awareness, not realizing who we truly are, or what the state of things with us really is. Perhaps there is discouragement, despondency, or depression. Maybe hope has disappeared.

It could be that there is guilt, or shame, or uncertainty, and so fear is keeping the head down and eyes looking at the ground.

So, look up.

Abram looked up, saw an incredible future, and heard an amazing promise:

He [the Lord] took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness. (Genesis 15:5-6, NIV)

Mary Magdalene looked up at Jesus, and her deep sorrow turned to great astonishment and joy:

Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in.She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her.

“Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”

She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?”

She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”

“Mary!” Jesus said.

She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”). (John 20:11-16, NLT)

Stephen looked up, and his persecution turned to glory:

When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” (Acts 7:54-56, NIV)

We are to look up so that we can see how things truly are, and whom we really serve. Only then can we accept what is, and what God is doing.

Spiritual awareness enables us to see clearly and discern well. It comes when we look up, see the glory of God, and accept the invitation to respond.

Lord God almighty, Creator of heaven and earth:

How awesome are your works!
    Because of your great strength,
        your enemies cringe before you.
All the earth worships you,
    sings praises to you,
        sings praises to your name!

If I had cherished evil in my heart,
    my Lord would not have listened.
But God definitely listened.
    He heard the sound of my prayer.
Bless God! He didn’t reject my prayer;
    he didn’t withhold his faithful love from me. Amen. (Psalm 66:3-4, 18-20, CEB)

The Most High Shall Lift Up the Needy (Psalm 113)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
By Unknown Artist

Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord;
    praise the name of the Lord.

Blessed be the name of the Lord
    from this time on and forevermore.
From the rising of the sun to its setting,
    the name of the Lord is to be praised.
The Lord is high above all nations
    and his glory above the heavens.

Who is like the Lord our God,
    who is seated on high,
who looks far down
    on the heavens and the earth?
He raises the poor from the dust
    and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
to make them sit with princes,
    with the princes of his people.
He gives the barren woman a home,
    making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the Lord! (New Revised Standard Version)

The psalmist calls for praise to God, because the Lord is the God both far and near, both transcendent (high above and over) and immanent (close by enough to respond quickly).

God is a dynamic force and presence in this world.

It is God who sees the poor and needy from on high, and comes near to lift them and give them a place alongside those in power and with authority.

It is the Lord God almighty who observes the childless woman from afar and draws near to ensure that she becomes a joyful mother.

Today’s psalm is the first of six psalms (Psalms 113-118) which make up the Jewish Hallel – prayers of thanksgiving added to the morning service of worship on the days of festive Jewish holidays. 

This collection of psalms tells a story of God’s merciful acts in history for the people of Israel. The Israelites express joy and thanksgiving, because the Lord noticed them, and actively worked on their behalf.

Christians, too, make use of Psalm 113 for praise and worship. In the stories of both Hannah in the First Testament, and Mary in the Second Testament, the transcendent God listened to them, and was immanently present in helping them to conceive children.

This is a concerned and engaged God, who hears the humble, and lifts them beyond what they can even ask or imagine. (1 Samuel 2:1-10; Luke 1:39-57)

Yet, some may wonder why their prayers have not been answered.

Some are confused as to why God seems aloof in the midst of their needy circumstance.

There are yet many more who are discouraged by all of the terrible natural disasters which devastate people’s lives, and the existence of war and hatred and injustice around the globe.

And there are plenty of women who want children, but are unable to conceive; while there are women with children who treat them poorly.

Where is this good God when there is so much bad going on?

The psalmist exclaimed that God raises the poor, lifts the needy, and gives the barren woman a home. There is, however, no timetable set on precisely when this will happen.

Many a barren woman in the biblical stories was in that position for year after year. Sarah in the Old Testament, and Elizabeth in the New, were two elderly women who had a child in their old age. Beyond what was biologically possible, God nevertheless gave.

There was also many a person in the Bible who died, while never having had a change in their circumstance. Even in such cases, the humble and godly poor person shall be rich in heaven; and the needy person will experience plenty for eternity.

This isn’t meant to be a pat answer now in the present; rather, it points to the need for hope, the confident expectation that the unwanted and awful circumstance I am experiencing today will not always be true of me.

Just one implication of this is that even the destitute can praise God. Even the needy can give thanks, while they are simultaneously crying out for help.

The Christian will someday have a seat with Christ in the heavenlies. This is a hope built into one’s faith commitment. It is a sure thing in the future, just as much as the present reality I currently face.

No matter whether one is rich or poor, in plenty or in want, in a full house of children or none at all – every person has a reason to praise God and express gratitude for the One who sees from on high, and draws near with what is truly helpful for this present time – whether that help is in the form of tangible resources and assistance, or intangible comfort and encouragement.

Unfortunately, there are people in this old fallen world of ours who create the conditions of poverty for others; manipulate circumstances that opens a large gap of need for the underprivileged; and exclude people who are not in power and have no earthly authority.

God does not want injustice for people; oppression and exclusion is inconsistent with the Lord’s sense of justice and mercy. The psalmist affirms those who languish on the ash heap of life that they will be lifted up. Their present experience of despair will not last forever.

A day is coming when those in need will have their justice, where the malevolent forces of this world will be leveled, and the needy will sit with princes.

Discouragement does not have the last word. The day of praise will break through and overcome the day of despair.

Praise be to God!

Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you all the poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick, and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow into joy. Grant this, O God, for the love of your Son, who for our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Sing a New Song (Psalm 98:1-5)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment

Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
For He has done marvelous things;
His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.
The Lord has made known His salvation;
His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth;
Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.
Sing to the Lord with the harp,
With the harp and the sound of a psalm, (New King James Version)

I still remember, years ago when I was in college, a guy with a pony tail and wearing flip-flops, walking up with a guitar on his back in front of a gathering of fellow students who were Christians.

Yet, most evident, was his broad smile which seemed to engulf his entire face. He talked about his life before Christ – which was all of his life up until the week before – and what Jesus had done for him.

Then, he took his guitar and announced that he wrote a song to this very text, the first few verses of Psalm 98. I wish I had a recording of it, especially because of how he sang it with such volume and exuberance, as if the words had just been crafted yesterday.

Even though the psalm is ancient, the psalmist himself was inviting people to sing a song infused with a new perception of life on this earth.

There is always plenty of room to reflect on what God has done, and is doing, in this very big world. Not only can we consider the immensity and intricacy of the created order, but we can also declare all the things we cannot detect with our five senses.

And perhaps those are the things which impact us the most, when we sense and feel the reality of God’s work in the world, and in our lives. At least that’s what my pony-tailed smiling friend was so excited about.

The things which exist beyond our normal human experience are no less real than our daily mundane activities. This is the realm where the Lord makes the greatest impact of all. God hasn’t only done great things, but has done great things for me.

We have to use metaphors and personifications in order to even begin understanding the wonder and awe of God’s saving power in our very real here-and-now lives. God’s mighty right hand and holy arm of power speak to the incredible strength and authority which can reach into the thickest and nastiest of garbage dumpsters to pull out the pearl of great price, that is, you and me.

Consider God, the One who puts all things right, and is just and good in all things – paying attention to the least of us, and lifting up with divine deliverance from the most dire and awful of circumstances.

Indeed, the Lord has made God’s salvation known, and revealed God’s righteousness to the nations.

Sometimes it takes someone with a fresh new song to wake us up to the reality that we can discern the activity of God every day, in all the ordinary and myriad ways of our lives. Along with all of creation, and pony-tail guy, we join the chorus of those who are already singing with the unique voice God provided for us.

And those many songs all include, at their center, the reality that before I chose God, God chose me; that when I forget, God remembers; that with my waxing and waning of love, God is consistently steadfast and faithful with love; and that God provides salvation, and judges the people with equity, even when I show favoritism.

With each new testimony of God’s saving work, it becomes harder and harder for others to insist that God is absent, hidden, or negligent. God is there. God is here. God is everywhere.

We can get so wrapped up in our own small worlds, and our own little safe places, where everyone looks like me, acts like me, and thinks like me. But the world is much bigger than our contrived spaces in which we can set ourselves up as master and commander.

The Lord mercifully breaks through all of our puny posturing and petulance, and saves us from ourselves. God pushes and cajoles us to see beyond the end of our noses. We are moved to see a new perspective we haven’t noticed before.

And once we make out what God is doing, and does for me, then bursting into song with shouting and volume is the organic response to our experience. If you think about it, there is really no other way to respond, once you have gotten a glimpse of God’s activity, and discerned something that was previously undiscernible.

Even the rocks will cry out in the face of such love and grace.

It’s okay to open your mouth, once your eyes have been opened, and let a new song come tumbling out. Because joy is the response of being delivered from what once bound us.

Gracious and Loving God, you have filled the world with beauty: Open our eyes to behold your gracious hand in all these works; that, rejoicing in your whole creation, we may learn to serve you with gladness; for the sake of him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Worship Is a Lifestyle (1 Chronicles 15:1-2, 16:4-13)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
David Dancing Before the Ark, by James Tissot, c.1900

David built houses for himself in Jerusalem. Then he prepared a place for the Ark of God, and he set up a tent for it. David said, “Only the Levites may carry the Ark of God. The Lord chose them to carry the Ark of the Lord and to serve him forever….”

Then David appointed some of the Levites to serve before the Ark of the Lord. They had the job of leading the worship and giving thanks and praising the Lord, the God of Israel. Asaph, who played the cymbals, was the leader. Zechariah was second to him.

The other Levites were Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel. They played the lyres and harps. Benaiah and Jahaziel were priests who blew the trumpets regularly before the Ark of the Agreement with God. That day David first gave Asaph and his relatives the job of singing praises to the Lord.

Give thanks to the Lord and pray to him.
    Tell the nations what he has done.
Sing to him; sing praises to him.
    Tell about all his miracles.
Be glad that you are his;
    let those who seek the Lord be happy.
Depend on the Lord and his strength;
    always go to him for help.
Remember the miracles he has done,
    his wonders, and his decisions.
You are the descendants of his servant, Israel;
    you are the children of Jacob, his chosen people. (New Century Version)

Art by Sefira Lightstone

David was anointed as the future king by the priest and prophet Samuel, because God had rejected Saul as king. Yet, King Saul was still on the throne, still in power.

It’s a credit to David that he was faithful to the Lord, trusted God, and did nothing morally wrong or ethically suspect, such as trying to kill Saul. But King Saul certainly tried to kill David!

Saul’s jealousy morphed into murderous intent and evil machinations. Saul eventually died in battle, and David became king of Judah, then of all Israel. He did it the Lord’s way, and not his own.

So, it’s no surprise that once King David was securely on the throne, he paid attention to the Ark of the Covenant – the symbol of God’s presence with Israel – and made plans to have it in a protected and central place within the life of the Jewish people. What’s more, David sought to obey all of God’s laws and instructions which were graciously given to the people through Moses.

King David relocated the Ark from the house of Obed-Edom to Jerusalem – with the Levitical priests handling all of the sacred objects, as prescribed in the law of God.

The liturgical procession which moved the Ark of the Covenant was a grand and festive group, including military commanders, the elders of Israel, and the Levites. It was a celebration involving plenty of music, singing, and sacrifices. (1 Chronicles 13-14; 2 Samuel 6:12-19)

David prepared a tent for the Ark, in the tradition of the Tabernacle of Moses, to be located in Jerusalem at the heart of Jewish life.

After God’s Ark was moved and established in the new capitol, King David then organized the Levites for continued ministry around it. The work of the Levites was prayer, music, song, and praise, with Asaph as their leader.

Asaph along with Zechariah and eight other Levites, were responsible to ensure that musical instruments were played and trumpets blown before the Ark. (1 Chronicles 15:17-18)

All of the praise, singing, and music was to be a permanent ministry, because for David and the Jews, worship was a lifestyle, and not just an event.

So, we see that one of King David’s first initiatives in coming to power was to establish dozens of full-time Levites in the work of worship. David clearly knew where his royal position came from, and how he was supposed to rule. The king ensured that all of Jewish life was going to revolve around God, not himself. And he proved it both by his words and his actions as Israel’s leader.

Levites singing chapters from Psalms in Jerusalem, photo by Dor Pazoelo

The approach and attitude of David makes sense, because he was the one, along with Asaph the musical director, who crafted songs of praise such as Psalm 96. We might imagine a great Levite choir singing out with lots of spiritual gusto:

Sing to the Lord a new song;
    sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord and praise his name;
    every day tell how he saves us.
Tell the nations of his glory;
    tell all peoples the miracles he does,

because the Lord is great; he should be praised at all times.
    He should be honored more than all the gods,
because all the gods of the nations are only idols,
    but the Lord made the heavens.
The Lord has glory and majesty;
    he has power and beauty in his Temple.

Praise the Lord, all nations on earth;
    praise the Lord’s glory and power.
Praise the glory of the Lord’s name.
    Bring an offering and come into his Temple courtyards.
Worship the Lord because he is holy.
    Tremble before him, everyone on earth.
Tell the nations, “The Lord is king.”
    The earth is set, and it cannot be moved.
    He will judge the people fairly.
Let the skies rejoice and the earth be glad;
    let the sea and everything in it shout.
Let the fields and everything in them rejoice.
Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy
before the Lord, because he is coming.
    He is coming to judge the world;
he will judge the world with fairness
    and the peoples with truth. (Psalm 96, NCV)

Amen.