Psalm 148:3-6

Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars! Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the LORD! For he commanded and they were created. And he established them forever and ever; he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.

LORD, all creation praises You. Every aspect declares Your glory and the the completeness of Your work. I can see the glories of Your creation, see the beauty of the stars; thank You for the gift of the Hubble. But LORD, even this that I can see needs to be more fully opened to me. I need to see how the creation is praising You and be cognizant of that praise. Bring within me an appreciation of the awesomeness of Your creation and how it is in constant praise of You.

Psalm 148:7-10

Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps, fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word! Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars! Beasts and all livestock, creeping things and flying birds!

Everything that is in and on the earth, with the exception of man, is in complete and total and constant praise of You. The creatures of the earth and sea, the weather and storms, the terrain, the plants and animals, all declare the glory of Your handiwork.

Psalm 119:117-118

Hold me up, that I may be safe and have regard for your statutes continually! You spurn all who go astray from your statutes, for their cunning is in vain.

My communion with You, my Lord, is both fragile and robust. It is fragile in that there must be a continuous turning to You for protection against the subtle assaults of the Evil One. Everywhere I turn, he is seeking a chink in my armor, a little slip and he slips in a arrow of deception and self-defeat. A candy coated delusion that I can just take a peek and not be soiled, "I need to check to see what is going on in the world so that I can be better equipped to resist" argument. No! No! No!

But my communion is robust for I have the Holy Spirit to remind me of all that You have taught. I have that voice in my mind, constantly reminding me that if I resist the Evil One, he will flee from me. When I obey, there is sweet joy, an absence of anxiety, a presence peace, a release from guilt and an awareness of Your righteousness in my life. Praise You, my Lord and my Master.

Psalm 148:11-14

Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth! Young men and maidens together, old men and children! Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven. He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his saints, for the people of Israel who are near to him. Praise the LORD!

Of all creation, only man, that part that You created in Your image, is in rebellion. And You love us so much, what was and is to be the crown jewel of Your creation, that You have not given up. You have provided a horn of salvation for us and for me. Praise Your holy name.

Psalm 149:1-4

Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the godly! Let Israel be glad in his Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King! Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre! For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation.

LORD, let me join in that joy and dancing. Remove from me that sense of shame and fear of ridicule. Let my heart overflow with the joy of Your presence. How can I not, You have sent Your one and only son to live as man among us, to die for me, and lifted him up, restore him to life and then seated him on Your right hand to intercede for me. How can I not praise You?

Psalm 149:5

Let the godly exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their beds.

As I woke during the night, I needed to turn to You in joy. Help me to learn to exult in Your glory, revel in the power of Your name, to treasure those periods during the night when sleep flees, to use them as times to praise You and remember Your Goodness to me.

Psalm 149:6-9

Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands, to execute vengeance on the nations and punishments on the peoples, to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron, to execute on them the judgment written! This is honor for all his godly ones. Praise the LORD!

LORD, to praise You is to tear down the strongholds of the enemy. It is a powerful weapon that You have given me to assault the enemy. Praise is the weapon against ridicule and shame, against pride and lust, against greed and covetousness, against anger and rage. It saps the strength of the evil one, sucks the blood from his veins, buckles his legs and causes him to flee. It gives me the power to resist.

So, LORD, let Your praises be foremost on my tongue today. May I sing Your praise and do Your praise all day long. PRAISE YOUR HOLY NAME!

Psalm 150:1-6

Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!

LORD, let me praise You with a keyboard, that this may be acceptable in Your sight.

I praise You in Your sanctuary, that place of light and sound, the brilliance of Your presence overshadowing and casting every other source of light and beauty into insignificance.

I praise You in Your mighty heavens, that universe of complete beauty that set in place. You caused the stars and the galaxies to be in their places, to spin and whirl as move as You defined. The shear beauty, as reveled by the Hubble, takes my breath away. The colors, the immensity, the intricate detail

I praise You for Your mighty deeds, for the redemption through the cross, for the gracious and merciful plan to set everything right after we had spoiled, marred, and desecrated Your glorious creation. You have provided for all to be set once again, within the Shalom that is Your perfect plan.

How great thou art! there is no limit to Your love, no limit to Your perfection, to Your completeness. You are my all in all. I need no more, no one else, nothing except You, my LORD, my Savior and my God.

Psalm 119:125

I am your servant; give me understanding, that I may know your testimonies!

Today is a day for understanding as we attend a memorial for an unbeliever. A dear friend from years ago, but without evidence that he walked with You (that we saw or knew). And we were not either. Now, Lord, how do we approach this situation today? How do we go into this to give his widow and children words of love and hope. How are we to serve as Your Ambassadors of Reconciliation?

Psalm 119:124

Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love, and teach me your statutes.

What more can I ask, Lord, but that You deal with according to Your steadfast love? That has always been so, even when I was not walking with You. The problem is in my recognizing that You are dealing with me out of love, steadfast love and my acceptance of that fact. This is where the teaching/learning is needed. For me to accept that circumstances and events are for a purpose, and that purpose is to teach me, to transform me and make me like You.

Psalm 1:1-3

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

Lord, this is a two-fold blessing that leads to not suffering the consequences of disobedience while enjoying the fruits of obedience. It is a matter of where I seek communion, advice and counsel; do I go to the kingdom of the Evil One or do I turn my heart to Your Kingdom and seek Your wisdom and guidance? The former leads to despair, the latter to joy and fulfillment; to the prosperity of Kingdom living. Praise You, my Lord and my Master

Psalm 1:4-5

The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

I come to You, my Lord, seeking Your favor upon my family, on those who do not know You and who refuse to accept Your offer of grace and mercy. Lord, bring them to their knees and fill my mouth with the fire of Your word, the word that cleanses and heals. Remove from me the fear of shame and rejection. Bless them, my Lord and my Master.