Joy, Joy, Joy
(ESV) Ps 100:1 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
2 Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
3 Know that the LORD, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
5 For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
Whenever I read this psalm, I feel total comfort and peace. Make a joyful noise, the psalmist says. Enter into His courts with praise. Bless Him.
These few verses assure me that nothing I do for my Lord is in vain. My service, my praise, are all a small part of being in a relationship with God. And today, following the second deadly hurricane to slam into the east coast in a week, I am especially thankful. Hurricane Milton was forecast to be a severe storm, even worse than Hurricane Helene that hit the prior week. This morning they are assessing the damage, but there was significantly less destruction than predicted.
When I was in Richmond, I wrote several songs. I call them songs even though I don’t know how to write music. So, basically my “songs” are just lyrics and the music is in my head.
True Praise
True praise is like a fragrance, expensive and so rare
Stored in the heart of the believer, marked “Handle with Care.”
But once the bottles opened and the aroma fills the air
There is praise, praise, praise everywhere.
Let my praise be like a fragrance carried high on angel’s wings,
Let the aroma drift toward heaven’s throne into the King of Kings.
Let my sacrifice be wholly acceptable my God to thee
Just let me praise Your name through eternity.
The ingredients are simple, start with a heart of love
Then you add a up of thankfulness to the Father up above.
Then add a measure of faith, we all have it don’t you know,
There’s just one last ingredient before your praise can grow.
You need a broken and contrite spirit, that’s the catalyst you see
For you can’t truly praise the Lord of all without humility,
And though the process may be painful, I’m sure that you will find,
Praise that comes from a broken heart, is the sweetest kind.
Let my praise be like a fragrance carried high on angel’s wings,
Let the aroma drift toward heaven’s throne into the King of Kings.
Let my sacrifice be wholly acceptable my God to thee
Just let me praise Your name through eternity.
May we focus our thoughts and our hearts on the Lord our God today and every day, giving Him the praise that He is due.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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Seeking Holiness 