“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 forth 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!” Psalm 113:1-4
Devotional Thought For The Day
It is good to be reminded of the praise that is due to the LORD. We forget. We rise in the morning, get set for another day, begin preparing ourselves for the day’s agenda, grab our coffee, and away we go. We are then occupied all day long with the challenges and concerns of our vocation and place in life – as the sun moves across the sky to its setting. We forget that the LORD is deserving of our praise all day long.
Part of our problem is that we struggle with scope – consideration of the minutia of our small lives on this large planet, which is actually quite small in comparison to the universe, which in turn is quite small in comparison to the LORD. How can we adequately grasp the true nature of God’s grandeur and glory so as to give Him adequate praise? And how can we believe that such praise matters to Him, that we matter to Him, that all of the small details of our lives and all of the people we interact with matter immensely, immediately, and importantly to the LORD? But the psalmist goes on to describe God’s commitment to and blessing of even the least “important” people on the earth. This too is His glory and warrants His praise.
I am often left speechless and without proper thoughts when I consider the LORD. The reality is impossible for us to fully fathom and to put into proper perspective. But this too helps us gain and retain the right attitude – one of utter humility and yet great confidence. We are small but so precious to the LORD. It also helps us in our relationships with others – that every human being matters to God and is dignified by God’s loving care and providence. Indeed, it is part of our purpose as children of God to also lift up and care for those around us – as hands and feet of the LORD.
The most important, comforting, and intimate love that we receive from the LORD is in His Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In real time and real history He demonstrated His love for us in sending His Son to be our Savior, the “Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world.” He has promised that “he that believes the Son has everlasting life . . . and shall not come into condemnation but has passed from death to life.” [Jn. 1:29, 3:36, 5:24] Yes, each day we remember not only the opportunities we have to serve and praise God in this life, but also the wondrous joys that are guaranteed to us in the life to come – when this mortal shall have put on immortality. [1 Cor. 15:53] This keeps us from the dismal depression that our experiences in this fallen world of sin tend to drive us to.
So although we can only do so imperfectly, let us consider the glory of the LORD and give Him our praise. Let us remember His presence, His care, His blessings each moment of the day. Let us praise Him for present blessings and for what is certainly coming to us shortly!
Prayer For The Day
O dear LORD God, thank You for Your tender love and care for us, and for Your patience with us in our weaknesses. We cannot fathom such love for us, that You would send Your Son to be our Savior, and that You would shower such complete attentiveness to our every need. Keep us in humble and confident faith and trust in You, and help us to fulfill Your will to bless others through us. Amen.