Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalm 95:1-5
Psalm 95:1-5
1 Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. 3 For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. 4 In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. 5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.
What an exciting day! We have the opportunity to serve the Lord and praise his holy name. We can come before the creator of the universe and talk with him and know he hears our voice. We can offer up songs of praise extolling his majesty, his greatness and his holiness. We are his children and he loves each one of us. He leads us by his holy word and protects us by his power.
Having been raised in an environment that stifled the showing of emotions in our worship and religion, it is comforting and encouraging to read these psalms that allow the outpouring of our feelings for God. We not only can but should be excited over the opportunity to worship God. It is a celebration that deserves all the emotions we have within us and we need to let them flow.
This does not mean we turn off our minds and allow our emotions and feelings to control our actions and our behavior. God is indeed a God of order and peace and not a God of confusion. Too often our emotions can lead us down a wrong path or cause us to do and say things that should not be done or said. Our feelings do not make things right – only God’s word can do that.
As with so many things in life, we must avoid the extremes. While the truth seldom lies in the middle of any two extremes, it is often not at either end. There are times that we need to be excited and show it. There are times for quiet and calm reverence. We need to pray for wisdom to know when each is appropriate and the uninhibited fortitude to show forth each at the proper times. Can we really ever be too excited about serving God and praising him but at the same time, can we possibly be too reverent or respectful as we stand in awe before him? After all, he is God, our creator! It is because of his love, his mercy and his grace that we can be assured of his salvation in Jesus Christ.
Thank you Lord for your wonderful love that has been shown to me in providing an escape from sin and the consequences of it in Jesus Christ. Thank you for giving me your Spirit to comfort me in distress, to provide me wisdom in my indecision and filling me with your peace in the midst of turmoil. Thank you for the strength he gives me in my weakness. Fill my heart with your love so I can be forgiving to others whom I feel do not deserve it just as you have forgiven me – even though I do not deserve it. I pray in the name of Jesus my brother but my Lord.
--Robert
