Praise God

February 23, 2016

Opening Hymns:
368 My Hope is Built http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh368.sht

Scripture Reading:
Psalm 95
95:1 O come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

95:2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

95:3 For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.

95:4 In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also.

95:5 The sea is his, for he made it, and the dry land, which his hands have formed.

95:6 O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!

95:7 For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. O that today you would listen to his voice!

95:8 Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,

95:9 when your ancestors tested me, and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.

95:10 For forty years I loathed that generation and said, "They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they do not regard my ways."

95:11 Therefore in my anger I swore, "They shall not enter my rest."

Message:
We can learn a lot when we look at the actions of others, and the bible is full of examples of what we should and shouldn’t do. In today’s scripture reading we hear a psalm of praise that also reflects on the sins of their ancestors. The scripture calls us to look at the world around us, and praise the Lord. It warns us against hardening our hearts, and straying from God.

When I reflect on all the miraculous things that God has created it gives me chills. The sunrise and sunset can be breathtaking, and yet often I miss it. Who could think that a view so stunningly beautiful would be forgotten in the busyness of this world? The mountains, trees and fields that surround us should fill us with awe… yet how much do we really notice? We let our own comfort, business, and desires poison the world around us. We forget how precious this world is. We forget that we have a Creator who has made all that we see.

Today let us try to remember that we can pray to our Lord with praises, as well as our troubles. Let us take in the beauty that the Lord has created. Try to see the sunset, listen to the birds, look out at the snow and the grass and see that it is good.

 
Time of Prayer
Dear Lord, You are our creator. Thank You for this beautiful world that You have given us. Thank You for the beauty of every sunrise and sunset. The vastness of the skies and seas! The melodies of every bird’s song. Thank You for providing for the animals, the flowers, and for us all. Amen.


The Lord’s Prayer


Closing Hymn
92 For the Beauty of the Earth http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh092.sht

May the Lord bless you and keep you: May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you: May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." Amen.

Go in peace, serve the Lord
Thanks be to God