Hubble, Zoos, and Singing Children Psalm 148 December 24

Hubble, Zoos, and Singing Children 

Psalm 148

Praise him, all you shining stars,

Pslam 148:3

What do the Hubble Space Telescope, a zoo, and singing children have in common? According to the teaching of Psalm 148, we could conclude that they all point to God’s magnificent creation.

    The idea that God created our world is often questioned, so perhaps it’s a good time for a reminder of the praise we and all creation should heap on our Heavenly Father for His magnificent handiwork.

    The Hubble Space Telescope can help us with that through its popping pictures of our universe. Every one of those brilliant photos points to stars that focus attention on God’s creative majesty.” Praise Him, all you shining stars.” Says verse 3

    A visit to a zoo points us to the great diversity of wildlife God created. We look at verses seven and ten and say thank you to God for sea creatures, wild animals, insects and birds.

    And a few minutes of watching little children singing uninhibited praises to God symbolizes the truth that all people of earth should lift their voices in honor of our Creator (vv.11-13)

    Stars, animals, and children: “Let them praise the name of the Lord for his name alone is exalted”(v.13). Let’s join in saying thanks for His creation. “Praise the Lord!”

Dave Branon 

Creation displays God’s power 

From the Devotional 

Together with God 

PSALMS

A devotional reading for Everyday of the year 

From Our Daily Bread

David Brandon 

Editor 

By Dawn’s Early Light December 23 Psalm 148

By Dawn’s Early Light 

Psalm 148

Glorify the Lord in dawning light 

Isaiah 24:15

Dressed for warmth and walking the path by memory, I crept through the pre-dawn darkness to sit at a quiet place in Michigan’s north woods. I settled at the base of a sixty foot white pine, got comfortable and jones the silent forest. As day began to break, discernible shapes emeraged from the darkness. Inch by inch the dawn appeared and with it came the awakening of the forest.

    Here and there birds began to sing, A flock of majestic geese flew low to the horizon, punctuating the sky with their busy conversation. A doe and her fawns moved soundlessly along the pine break. A red squirrel stared at me and flicked his tail.

    How could I experience the majestic panorama of God’s creation not praise Him? Quietly I did so, but my mind was shouting glory to His name for all the angles to hear. Yet, compared with giant beech trees, lacy cedars, whip-thin poplars, and leafy ferns, my praise seemed insignificant. What coul my words add t. The wonder of the perky chickadee and the fleet-footed rabbit?

    

The author of Pslam 148 understood that all nature reflects the Creator’s power and greatness. On that cool fall day I was privileged to join creation in glorifying God by dawn’s early light 

                                                                    David Enger

Creation is the canvas on which God has painted 

His greatness and majesty.

From the Devotional 

Together with God 

PSALMS

A devotional reading for Everyday of the year 

From Our Daily Bread

David Brandon 

Editor 

Our Caring Creator Psalm 147:1-11

Our Caring Creator 

Psalm 147:1-11

He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds 

Psalm 147:3

Christian astronomer David Block tells us that our Milky Way galaxy contains one hundred billion stars- and that is just one small part of the vast heavens of which our planet is but a tiny speck. Considering the utter insignificance of our earth , it is hard to believe that the Creator of the cosmos cares about what happens to the human family that has been sonically described as a semi-invisible rash on the skin of the sub- microscopic. Planet in a second -rate solar system.

The astonishing truth is that. God does care. Long before the invention of telescopes, David asked “When I consider your heavens... what is mankind that you are mindful of them?” (Psalm 8:3-4), And fGod doesn’t simply care, He cares for everyone as if we each were the sole object of His loving attention! Psalm 147:3-4 contrast the star-studded sky with the hurts of a singlet soul: “He heals the broken-hearted ad binds up their wou\nds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.”

Mind-boggling!  The wisdom and the. Power that sustain the whole cosmos are focused on every believer. What a source of confidence and strength when we experience weakness and doubt!

Vernon Grounds 

He who holds the stars in space will surely uphold his saints on earth

From the Book Together with God  PSALMS

A DEVOTIONAL Reading for Every Day off the Year 

From our Daily Bread

Dave Brandon 

Editor 

Help Yourself Psalm 146

Help Yourself 

Psalm 146

Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob 

whose hope is in the Lord their God 

Recently, I saw a television ad for a restaurant chain that made a dramatic claim. At those restaurants, the ad said you could “Help Yourself to Happiness.” Wouldn’t it be nice if a helping of patoatoes or meat or past or dessert would be all that was needed to provide happiness? Unfortunately, no restaurant can fulfill that promise.

    Happiness is an elusive thing- as we can see in almost every area of life. Our pursuit of happiness may involve food or a host of other things, but in the end, happiness continues to escape our grasp.

    Why? In large measure its because the things we tend to pursue do not touch the deepest needs of our hearts . Our pursuits may provide moments of enjoyment, distraction, or pleasure, but the cry of our hearts goes unheard- the cry for help and hope. That is why the psalmist points us to a better way when he says, “Blessed aren’t whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God” (Psalm 146:5)

    Help Yourself? Yes- if we are seeking the happiness found in the Lord. It is only when we entrust ourselves to God and his care that we can find the happiness we seek. Our hope and help are found only in trusting Him.

                                                                                                                  Bill Crowder 

The one hoo puts God First will have happinesss the last 

Julie’s Shoes Psalm 146

Julie’s Shoes

Psalm 146

Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob

Whose hope is in the Lord their God.

Psalm 146:5

Shoes. Nobody ha thought about shoes. The hectic pace of another summer week was suddenly upon our family, and it was time for my second daughter Julie to begin her week at baskeball camp. Just a few minutes before she was to leave, it suddenly dawned on my wife, Sue that Julie didn’t have any decent baskeball shoes. 

   We weren’t prepare fo a $40 surprise like that. Furthermore, it was too late to do anything about it. So Julie would have to show up at the gym wearing an old pair of ill-fitting shoes that weren’t meant for competitive sports. But when Sue opened the door to go out to the car, there stood Connie, our next door neighbor. And what was in her hands? Shoes. Basketball shoes. Too small for her Erin, but just right for our Julie. Although we had. Not thought about shoes, Someone ha. 

    Did you ever read through the list of reasons to praise the Lord in Pslam 146? It mentions many ways in which God has demonstrated His providential care for those who live by faith in Him. The almighty Creator of the world lovingly cares for the needs of His people.

    The Lord provides what we need today too, Things like shoes. Things that keep giving us one more reason to praise Him.

Looking Up “The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down.

Looking Up 

PSALM 146:1-10

The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down.

PSALM 146:8

An article in Surgical Technology international Journal says that looking down at a smart phone with your head bent forward is the equivalent of having a sixty-pound weight on your neck. When we consider that millions of people around the world spend an average of two to four hours daily reading and texting, the resulting damage to neck and spine becomes a growing health concern.

    It is also easy to become spiritually bowed down by the burdens of life. How often we find ourselves discouraged by the problems we face and the needs of those we love. The psalmist understood this weight of concern yet saw hope as he wrote about “the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them- (Who) remains faithful forever. He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous” (Psalm 146:6-8)

    When we consider God’s care, His great power, and His loving heart, we can begin to look up ad praise Him. We can walk through each day knowing that “the Lord reigns forever... for all generations” (v10) 

He lifts us up when we are bowed down. Praise the Lord!

                                                                                                                              David McCasland

Faith in God’ goodness puts a song in your heart.

Key to living a blessed life

“Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3:9-10‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Many people ask the question “How do I live a blessed life?” The answer is to keep God first! Many of us take the best and first fruits for ourselves because we feel like we work hard so we deserve the best. The fact is since God is our source of everything we should give him our best and our first fruits but we tend to give him what is left over thus we receive what looks like table scraps. Now I am not teaching you to give to get from God, instead I am saying if you remember and honor the one that gives the blessings you will become one of those that he does not mind blessing. This is not just talking about money blessings but blessings of Joy, Peace and Love as well.

Give God your best not just what you have left!