Praising throughout
Linda Pollock
April 24, 2023
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Listen to this daily worship
Psalm 116: 1-4, 12-19 (NRSVA)
1 I love the Lord, because he has heard
my voice and my supplications.
2 Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
4 Then I called on the name of the Lord:
‘O Lord, I pray, save my life!’
12 What shall I return to the Lord
for all his bounty to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord,
14 I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his faithful ones.
16 O Lord, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the child of your serving-maid.
You have loosed my bonds.
17 I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice
and call on the name of the Lord.
18 I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the Lord,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!
This song sets us straight! It unfolds for us the route to wholeness in life.
The Psalmist has been deathly ill and in his need cries out to God for healing.
The end of the song is really our starting point, “Praise the Lord!”
How often has prayer been our last resort? Perhaps you don’t want to bother God with your needs, after all God already knows — right? Perhaps the doctor has told you your diagnosis is terminal, or your illness will get progressively worse so, why ask for healing?
When we praise the Lord from a place of hurt, shame, sorrow, illness, etc, the offering — or sacrifice — to God is welcomed, and in making a sacrifice of praise, we allow ourselves to be touched by God. Let me be clear though. Healing is not the same as being cured. Healing may mean dying, may mean never getting better… healing often means we are given the grace, courage, and strength to live with our condition — and to live with the knowledge that death is simply the gateway to our new lives with God in heaven.
Praise the Lord! Begin with the little things — thank You God, for my cup of tea. I assure you, once you begin to praise God for all of your life, including the difficulties, your praise will become easier and this is another route to the unfolding of God’s Kingdom in you, and you being the unfolding of the Kingdom in your family, your community and yes, the world.
PRAYER:
Loving God, I praise You! I praise You from the muck and mire I seem to frequent regularly. I praise You from my sadness and heartache. I praise You from the place of questioning Your influence in my life. I praise You from the fear all around me and deeply rooted in me. I praise You for unfolding Your purposes for, in and through me. I praise You for You are worthy of all praise. Amen.
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