Friday: INTENTIONAL PRAISE

Jun 17, 2022
2 min read

Lord, thank You for creating a world that returns intentional praise to You because it teaches me about worship. While I sometimes take Your creation for granted, I’m blessed by it.

1 Chronicles 16:30-36 Tremble before him, all the earth! The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved. Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!” Let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them! Let the trees of the forest sing, let them sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Cry out, “Save us, God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, and glory in your praise.” Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. When I think about the sovereignty the Lord has over all the earth, I just tremble before Him. Our planet is firmly established in the heavens and cannot be moved. The heavens rejoice because of His Lordship.

Indeed, the earth also proclaims, “The LORD reigns!” Can you hear the sea resounding with this message? Can you hear the fields jubilantly shouting out His Name? Can you hear the trees singing for joy before the Lord? Yes, everything He has created proclaims the Name of its Creator.

In my sinfulness, I scream out loud my need for a Savior, saying, “Save me, Jesus my Savior. Gather many who are crying out to You and deliver us from the nations, so that we may give thanks to Your holy Name and glory in Your praise.”

THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS: I think I need to listen a little closer to the sounds of nature. I should hear the majesty of the Lord in the sea, in the fields, and in the trees. The distractions of this world are loud, though, and seek to drown out these sounds of praise. The distractions in my mind are even louder and pull me away even more.

Because of these diversions, I must be intentional in giving thanks to the Lord. When I praise His Name, I join the chorus of many people and all nature rejoicing before the Lord and proclaiming His praise, from everlasting to everlasting.

Lord, because of Your love and mercy, You chose to reveal Yourself to me, so I can witness all creation praising You and desire to join in the chorus. Your creation never ceases its praise day and night. The next time I hear a bird sing, I’ll know that it is singing praises to You!

May you be blessed, Chaplain Wayne Ruckman