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 96
Praise to God Who Comes in Judgment
1 O sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples.
4 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be revered above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
6 Honor and majesty are before him;
strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering, and come into his courts.
9 Worship the Lord in holy splendor;
tremble before him, all the earth.
Reflect
Songs are powerful!
Do you still sing the “ABC Song” whenever you are putting things into alphabetical order? There are songs to help us learn and remember the Periodic Table of Elements, the 50 states, the solar system, the Fruit of the Spirit, the twelve apostles, the books of the Bible, and more. We may not remember what we ate for breakfast this morning, but we can still sing Bible verses we learned at VBS decades ago.
A resident of the nursing home where our granddaughter is employed would become highly-agitated and combative whenever someone tried to change his clothing. One evening, Kaitlyn was singing as she entered his room, and, to her surprise, he noticeably relaxed. She continued to sing and, for the first time ever, he was calm and cooperative while she changed his clothing and put him to bed.
My grandmother had dementia and, long after she could no longer carry on a conversation, she could still sing every verse of her favorite hymns. She would instantly engage – eyes sparkling and toes tapping – whenever we sang one of those beloved songs together.
Sing a song: remember. Sing a song: receive peace. Sing a song: find joy. Sing a song: praise the Lord!
Pray
Thank you, Lord, for the gift of song! Amen
Go with God!
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