Worship Devotional XLIX
Originally posted to the Facebook group on 11/21/2020.
Worship Devotional for 11/22/20
~ Thanksgiving ~
Welcome to week two of singing thanksgiving psalms! God has done such great and wonderful things for us. When we think about all that He has done, what else can we do but stand utterly in awe of His majesty? What other response is there but to give thanks and praise to Him with all of our hearts? He has given us life and allowed us to continue to live, providing all of His beautiful creation with the sustenance and nourishment needed to survive. He has poured out grace and favor on people who don't even come close to deserving it, and has shown throughout all the ages that He — the Almighty Lord, our God — is full of everlasting love and faithfulness and goodness. Because He is good and full of faithful love and mercy toward us, even as He reigns in all truth and righteousness and justice, let us offer our hearts to Him now, in this season of thanksgiving. Let us come before Him with these songs and psalms, that we may give thanks to Him and praise His holy name with all that we are, fearing His name and believing in what He has said and done. No matter what is going on in the world, with all the chaos and raging of the nations, He is still on the throne exalted forever. His kingdom cannot be shaken even when all the world is, and we have become citizens of that kingdom through a new birth given by the Holy Spirit through our faith in Jesus Christ. Things may be falling apart around us, but we have unending reasons to be thankful. Hallelujah! Let us praise the name of Yahweh.
Colossians 3:12-17:
"Therefore, God's chosen ones, holy and loved, put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, accepting one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive. Above all, put on love — the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of the Messiah, to which you were also called in one body, control your hearts. Be thankful. Let the message about the Messiah dwell richly among you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."
Here are the songs:
1) II Chronicles 20 by David Danielson
2 Chronicles 20:20-22:
"In the morning they got up early and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa. As they were about to go out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, 'Hear me, Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem. Believe in Yahweh your God, and you will be established; believe in His prophets, and you will succeed.' Then he consulted with the people and appointed some to sing for the Lord and some to praise the splendor of His holiness. When they went out in front of the armed forces, they kept singing:
Give thanks to the Lord, for His faithful love endures forever.
The moment they began their shouts and praises, the Lord set an ambush against the Ammonites, Moabites, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir who came to fight against Judah, and they were defeated."
The Lord loves to fight for His people and deliver them from their enemies when they lift up songs of thanksgiving to the praise of His glory from pure and upright hearts. In 2 Chronicles 20, we read about a time in Israel's history when enemy nations gathered together to march against Judah during the reign of king Jehoshaphat. Check out verses 3-4:
"Jehoshaphat was afraid, and resolved to seek the Lord. Then he proclaimed a fast for all Judah, who gathered to seek the Lord. They even came from all the cities of Judah to seek Him."
Whatever is coming against you right now, have you resolved in your heart to seek the Lord? The inhabitants of Judah humbled themselves and sought the Lord when they were afraid of the vast army that came against them. The Spirit of God spoke through a Levite in the congregation the day before the battle in verse 15, saying:
"Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast number, for the battle is not yours, but God's.”
How comforting and encouraging and wonderful it is to know that we can turn to and trust the Mighty One who is good and whose faithful love endures forever! If you are facing trials, struggles, or battles right now, check your heart and see if you are trusting in your own strength or in the strength of the Lord. When you resolve to seek Him and rely on Him for deliverance, lift up songs of praise! The Lord will fight for us and deliver us from all evil as we seek Him above all else, trust in His name alone, and give thanks for what He has done.
2) O Come Let Us Sing For Joy by Robert Mason
Psalm 95:
"Come, let us shout joyfully to the Lord, shout triumphantly to the rock of our salvation! Let us enter His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout triumphantly to Him in song.
For the Lord is a great God, a great King above all gods. The depths of the earth are in His hand, and the mountain peaks are His. The sea is His; He made it. His hands formed the dry land.
Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, the sheep under His care.
Today, if you hear His voice: Do not harden you hearts as at Meribah, as on that day at Massah in the wilderness where your fathers tested Me; they tried Me, though they had seen what I did. For 40 years I was disgusted with that generation; I said, 'They are a people whose hearts go astray; they do not know My ways.' So I swore in My anger, 'They will not enter My rest.'"
This psalm exhorts us to give thanks and praise to our God the King. It also comes with a warning, however. As we give thanks, may we not harden our hearts when the Lord speaks to us. Instead, let us humble ourselves before Him and receive what He has for us with thanksgiving, no matter how painful or difficult it may seem. He loves us and is working for both our good and His glory. Therefore let us thank Him with all of our hearts, humble and full of joy and gratitude!
3) Psalm 34 (Taste And See) by Shane & Shane
Psalm 34:
"I will praise the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips. I will boast in the Lord; the humble will hear and be glad. Proclaim Yahweh's greatness with me; let us exalt His name together.
I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look on Him are radiant with joy; Their faces will never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him from all his troubles. The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.
Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the man who takes refuge in Him! You who are His holy ones, fear Yahweh, for those who fear Him lack nothing. Young lions lack food and go hungry, but those who seek the Lord will not lack any good thing.
Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is the man who delights in life, loving a long life to enjoy what is good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech. Turn away from evil and do what is good; seek peace and pursue it.
The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry for help. The face of the Lord is set against those who do what is evil, to erase all memory of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is near the brokenhearted; He saves those crushed in spirit.
Many adversities come to the one who righteous, but the Lord delivers him from them all. He protects all His bones; not one of them is broken. Evil brings death to the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be punished. The Lord redeems the life of His servants, and all who take refuge in Him will not be punished."
Psalm 30:
"I will exalt You, Lord, because You have lifted me up and have not allowed my enemies to triumph over me. Lord my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me. Lord, You brought me up from Sheol; You spared me from among those going down to the Pit.
Sing to Yahweh, you His faithful ones, and praise His holy name. For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor, a lifetime. Weeping may spend the night, but there is joy in the morning.
When I was secure, I said, 'I will never be shaken.' Lord, when You showed Your favor, You made me stand like a strong mountain; when You hid Your face, I was terrified. Lord, I called to You; I sought favor from my Lord: 'What gain is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it proclaim Your truth? Lord, listen and be gracious to me; Lord, be my helper.'
You turned my lament into dancing; You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, so that I can sing to You and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise You forever."
Psalm 118:
"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever. Let Israel say, 'His faithful love endures forever.' Let the house of Aaron say, 'His faithful love endures forever.' Let those who fear the Lord say, 'His faithful love endures forever.'
I called to the Lord in my distress; the Lord answered me and put me in a spacious place. The Lord is for me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? The Lord is my helper. Therefore, I will look in triumph on those who hate me.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in nobles.
All the nations surrounded me; in the name of Yahweh I destroyed them. They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me; in the name of Yahweh I destroyed them. They surrounded me like bees; they were extinguished like a fire among thorns; in the name of Yahweh I destroyed them. You pushed me hard to make me fall, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation.
There are shouts of joy and victory in the tents of the righteous: 'The Lord's right hand performs valiantly! The Lord's right hand is raised. The Lord's right hand performs valiantly!' I will not die, but I will live and proclaim what the Lord has done. The Lord disciplined me severely but did not give me over to death.
Open the gates of righteousness for me; I will enter through them and give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous will enter through it. I will give thanks to You because You have answered me and have become my salvation. The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This came from the Lord; it is wonderful in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!
Lord, save us! Lord, please grant us success! He who comes in the name of the Lord is blessed. From the house of Israel we bless you. The Lord is God and has given us light. Bind the festival sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I will give You thanks. You are my God; I will exalt You. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever."
Scripture references:
2 Chronicles 20
Psalms 30, 32, 34, 95-100, 103, 107, 116, 118, 136
Ephesians 5:15-21
Philippians 4:4-9
Colossians 3:12-17, 4:2
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
Hebrews 12-13
Psalm 100:
"Shout triumphantly to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Acknowledge that Yahweh is God. He made us and we are His — His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name. For Yahweh is good, and His love is eternal; His faithfulness endures through all generations."