Old words new words
Albert Bogle
April 10, 2023
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Listen to this daily worship
Psalm 118: 1-2,14-24 (NIVUK)
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures for ever.2 Let Israel say:
‘His love endures for ever.’
14 The Lord is my strength and my defence;
he has become my salvation.15 Shouts of joy and victory
resound in the tents of the righteous:
‘The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!
16 The Lord’s right hand is lifted high;
the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!’
17 I will not die but live,
and will proclaim what the Lord has done.
18 The Lord has chastened me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.
19 Open for me the gates of the righteous;
I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord
through which the righteous may enter.
21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation.22 The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
23 the Lord has done this,
and it is marvellous in our eyes.
24 The Lord has done it this very day;
let us rejoice today and be glad.
“The Lord has done this and it is wondrous in our eyes”. This a phrase from Psalm 118, I can’t help but thinking these words were on the lips of many of the first believers.
When we read about the incidents that followed the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, it’s easy to see how the first disciples might have longed to stay in that place of wonder. To remain in a situation where their experience of God was heightened, a place where miracles happened on a regular basis. These early days were precious, they shaped the church to believe in the supernatural.
Today many of us wish that these old words of the psalm could become new words on our lips describing our experience of God. However the greater response is to give thanks to God that his love for us endures for ever. We need not look to the past to discover it. We can rejoice and be glad in it today. Even in the midst of many trials and disappointment there are wondrous things to behold.
PRAYER:
God of wonder,
Clothed with Joy-filled hope
Look upon us with favour today
Pardon our dull reactions
And shabby clothes
How slow we are to marvel at your work
How quickly we respond to negative thoughts
We tell ourselves good things can’t happen
We say miracles are only for non believers
We let the expectation of faith drain away
And only too soon we find ourselves dried up
Wearied by life and overwhelmed by the task.
Bend down and refresh our tired thoughts
Turn our eyes to see the beauty that surrounds us
We long for a fresh encounter of Your Spirit
Re-clothe us once more
Bring our smile back
With a glimpse of your personality
Let us see your laughing eyes
Your whimsical smile
And hear your call to action
“Come follow me,”
as you add the phrase —
“forget about fishing this time
you need to learn to network’”.
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