Focus
Stop and thank God for being present with you today. Ask for God’s guidance as you hear God’s voice through scripture and the writer.
Read
Psalm 117 (NRSV)
Praise the LORD, all you nations!
Extol him, all you peoples!
For great is his steadfast love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the LORD!
Reflect
Not every day are we overcome with praise. Routines dull our senses to the presence of God. Difficulties consume our thoughts. We get used to things that once brought us joy. Praise is hard to come by when we’re just getting from one day to the next.
But then God gets our attention. We resolve a problem that seemed intractable. A day in the woods rekindles our wonder and admiration for the creation. A night with friends or a moving worship service makes love fresh again. We find our hearts welling with praise.
God definitely got the attention of the psalmist. Whatever happened—maybe several things happened—the psalmist had to cry out in praise. The event was so wondrous, according to the psalmist, that it merited the praise of all the nations, every single person on earth!
God got our attention at Easter. For a while, it didn’t seem like there was anything about which to sing. Jesus had died a horrible death. His body was laid to rest, the rebellious world apparently victorious once more. But on the third day, light triumphed over darkness, life outlasted death, and we were assured that not one single thing is stronger than God’s saving love. Now every day is a day for praise.
Pray
O God, you are worthy of praise. Get our attention, and keep us open to the wonderful things you have done and continue to do. Amen.
Go with God.
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