Today’s Podcast
Today’s Scriptures
Today’s Bible reading plans include:
Ready – Psalms 149
Set – Psalms 149; 1 Corinthians 15
Go! – Psalms 149; 1 Corinthians 15-16
Psalms 149
1 Praise the Eternal!
Write new songs; sing them to Him with all your might!
Gather with His faithful followers in joyful praise;
2 Let all of Israel celebrate their Maker, their God, their friend;
let the children of Zion find great joy in their true King.
3 So let the music begin; praise His name—dance and sing
to the rhythm of the tambourine, and to the tune of the harp.
4 For the Eternal is listening, and nothing pleases Him more than His people;
He raises up the poor and endows them with His salvation.
5 Let His faithful followers erupt in praise,
singing triumphantly wherever they are, even as they lie down for sleep in the evening.
6 With the name of God and praise in their mouths,
with a two-edged sword in their hands,
7 Let them take revenge on all nations who deny God.
Let them punish the peoples.
8 Kings and nobles will be locked up,
and their freedom will be bound in iron shackles.
9 This judgment against them, decreed by a holy God, will be carried out.
It’s an honor for all His faithful followers to serve Him.
Praise the Eternal!
Today’s Devotional
From today’s background scripture God might say:
Sing a new song to the Lord. Let My faithful followers erupt in praise wherever they are… . I like that. I’m listening for that kind of response to My grace and mercy on your behalf. Do you ever stop to think about what I’ve done for you in the middle of the day or when you go to bed at night? Does it make you want to erupt in praise?
I love to the hear the praises of those who acknowledg Me as their Lord. I love to hear the music they make in their heart. I love to see them lift their eyes and their hands to heaven and sound the uncontained joy they feel as they remember the blessings I give them each day, the rescue from the penalty of sin, the new life they have because of the life I gave for them. I love to hear their praise.
So many times, though, the people I died for just go about their lives doing the things they’ve always done. They just live and die without acknowledging the blessings they receive. They never give thanks for the miracles I perform in their lives. They never stop to think about the life I give them each day, the food I provide, the air I give them, the water they drink that comes from Me. They just muddle through each day without thought of the God of creation.
David wasn’t special in any particular way except he worshiped Me. And so I honored him for it. Paul wasn’t special in any particular way except he often erupted in praise. So I honored him for it. Job didn’t have any special traits except he praised Me often and I reciprocated. Those you call heroes in My word didn’t have exceptional traits. They didn’t stand out in the crowd.
The thing all of those Bible heroes had in common, though, they erupted in praise…often. They lifted their hearts to Me in praise. They sang new songs to Me rejoicing in the freedom they enjoyed in their life with Me. They honored Me with their voice.
Don’t be afraid to lift your voice to Me. Don’t be afraid to erupt in praise. Don’t worry about what others might think about you. Don’t worry about the world’s thoughts. Just erupt in praise to Me because of what I’ve done for you. I like it…a lot. I’ll honor you for doing so.
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