01 Sep Praise the Lord!
1 September 2026
Praise the Lord!
Welcome to Spring! A fitting start by the looks of it. As God’s good world turns the page on another season, I’ve turned a page in my yearly Bible reading. I finished the Psalms this morning. As I have shared before, I read through the Old Testament once each year & the New Testament between 2-3 times each year. It’s a mighty discipline that requires that I read about 5 chapters every day. I get up quite early to get going. For maybe 15-16 years this has been my habit. I can’t imagine my day starting any other way or my year progressing under any other discipline. I highly encourage you to have a go at something similar…not as weighty perhaps, but something that gets the Word of God into your living experience & memory.
The Psalms end in praise. Psalms 144-150 are all praise psalms. There are others like them throughout the other 143, but it is fitting that the last words of the Psalms are, “Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord! Praise the Lord!” – Ps 150:6 What struck me today is just before that ending shout: “For the Lord delights in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.” – Ps 149:4 Our praise is not some down-payment or bribe hoping to persuade God to be inclined in our favour or garner his assistance. God delights in his human creation. God looks at us through the eyes of joy. God acts for our good in our moments of need. God moves heaven & earth for our blessing as weak, small, & rebellious as we are. The very epitome of grace is God’s delight over the most fragile of his wondrous creatures.
Scholars tell me the very middle verses of the Bible are also found in a praise psalm, Psalm 103. Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. – Ps 103:1-2 The very axis of God’s Word is hinged on praise because God does good to us…again not so that he will do good, but because he already has. When we offer God our praise it is the natural result of a blessed thankful heart. Our praise rises from the atmosphere & in the company of those who are loved & are the literal “apple of God’s eye.” Jesus reminded us that even we sinful earthly fathers know how to give good gifts to our children, so “how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.” – Mt 7:11
Practise your praise & thanksgiving this week. Be specific, as the psalms are specific, & your blessings are specific. Name the blessings you have received & praise God for each one…Praise him especially for his delight in you & the victories he has granted you. Praise him for the great victory of Christ over sin, death, & evil & sharing that triumph with you.
Now…some other praise-worthy gifts from God among us this week:
- Sunday September 6th – we continue our worship & teaching series on Joshua – Learning to be Different. We’re nearing the end of our series…Joshua is getting older, the conquest of the land is still unfinished & he’s preparing to finish his work as Israel’s leader. How do we discern the directions of our lives when there is no single leader to follow making the decisions for us? How do we choose in line with God’s direction when faced with many tempting alternatives? This is also a Morning Tea Sunday AND Father’s Day!
- Tuesday 8th September – feeding the CSU UniChurch students! Check with Sandra to get your name on the sign-up sheet! Many hands make light work!
- Thursday 10th September – Ladies Fellowship @ Bev & Ray’s home – Romans 9:1 – 10:4
- Saturday 12th September – LWF Prayer Morning @ the Guilfoyle home – 10:00 a.m.
- Sunday 27th September – Annual InterSport Lake-to-Lake Run-n-Ride – Worship begins at 12:00 noon with lunch in the Guide Hall
God bless you with his peace!
John
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