Psalm 22: 25-31 From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear him. The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord. May your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him. For dominion belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations. To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and I shall live for him. Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord, and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done it.
I start with confession: Yes, that's my new granddaughter, Adabelle Grace Garcia, in the photo for this morning. Her arrival was so awesome; she is awesome. After a Cabinet meeting that broke all records for finishing in one day, a drive from San Antonio to Corpus Christi, then to Mission, Texas; we were told upon arrival that our daughter and son-in-law, Jorge Garcia, had to check in at the hospital at 1:30 a.m. "Are you coming with us?" is not a question, it is a reminder that is what time we were to accompany them to the hospital. The check-in time was later changed to 3 a.m. and so by 2:30 a.m. we were showered, dressed and ready. Long story short, at 7:53 a.m. our fifth grandchild arrived via C-Section. I don't remember what time she actually made it into touching distance, but we were so blessed to finally hold her and talk to her after waiting nine months for her. We thank God for her and her health; she did all that was expected of her, eating immediately, like her Grandfather, and checks in all the checklists. To God be the glory.
The birth of a child, a new job, unexpected visits from dear ones, all for they who have a grateful heart towards the Lord, are they who praise God for all things. This is done in the privacy of their home or as the psalmist liked to do, and most of us do too, join a congregation to praise God. The psalmist saw all blessings as proof of God's unfailing and awesome love; he states he will pay his vows of support to God's work and sees the sign that God is still at work in all things, including caring for the poor, whom he says "shall eat and be satisfied." He believes all who seek God will find God and join in the praises of a grateful people.
This passage is a reminder for us to be a people of worship. God is worthy and our role in the grand scheme of things is to acknowledge God and give God praise. There is no exception of anyone living or dead, that should not be a person of worship. His belief, like ours, is that we will praise God while alive and when dead will go before God again, and that should be the greatest praise time of our lives. God is worthy. God is good.
PRAYER: Lord, let no circumstance or challenge keep me from worshiping You. Let me worship now where I am reading this, and let me make plans to join the congregation of my choice in worshiping You on Your day. You are worthy, and You are good. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
