Loving God, bless and protect the life and needs of this dear reader; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Our text for praising God today comes from Psalm 146: 1 Hallelujah! O my soul, praise God! 2 All my life long I'll praise God, singing songs to my God as long as I live. 3 Don't put your life in the hands of experts who know nothing of life, of salvation life. 4 Mere humans don't have what it takes; when they die, their projects die with them. 5 Instead, get help from the God of Jacob, put your hope in God and know real blessing! 6 God made sky and soil, sea and all the fish in it. He always does what he says - 7 he defends the wronged, he feeds the hungry. God frees prisoners - 8 he gives sight to the blind, he lifts up the fallen. 9 protects strangers, takes the side of orphans and widows, but makes short work of the wicked. 10 God's in charge - always. Zion's God is God for good! Hallelujah! (The Message)
Advent is a time for singing. You do it in your shower, you do it in your car, and you should do it in worship; can you do it in public? Someone shared a video with me about a choir who sang Handel's Messiah in a food court in a busy mall. It was filled with Christmas shoppers and there was a woman playing a small organ, set first to piano mode, then she switched to organ and started the strains to the Hallelujah Chorus and a young woman pretending to talk on the cell, and she may have been talking to her Mom saying, "Mom, pray for me, I'm scared to death!", stands and sings the first part, then a young man leaps onto his seat and responds, then others, then others, and before you know it this food court, always noisy with eaters and shoppers, is now filled with the sounds of one of the greatest worship pieces ever written! (The link to this video will be below).
I believe the Psalmist knew how to sing publicly without words or music, when that was necessary. This psalm is a song of faith and hope in a God of help to those who seek Him. It declares that a careful look around us, to sky and sea, and ground and trees, to everything created, is a strong reminder of all God has, is, and will, do in our lives for those of us who seek God. Can you let your life sing God's praises and use words and music whenever necessary? I believe we can and more now than ever, for the world is deariliy marching to a sad tune and the tune is dragging, not only in tempo, but in the pull it has on folks who have no hope. Let your life sing that joyous praise to the God in control, to the God of hope, to the God who acted on our behalf in sending His Only Son, to help us sing a song of new birth and new life. Are you ready? The world is listening!
PRAYER: God of song and hope; make my life sing today the praises to You in such a melodius way that others can't but help to listen and join in. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=SXh7JR9oKVE&vq=large#t=296
