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Listen to the devotional here: https://bit.ly/3xMoWjz
1 Sing to God a brand-new song. He's made a world of wonders! He rolled up his sleeves, He set things right. 2 God made history with salvation, He showed the world what he could do. 3 He remembered to love us, a bonus To his dear family, Israel - indefatigable love. The whole earth comes to attention. Look - God's work of salvation! 4 Shout your praises to God, everybody! Let loose and sing! Strike up the band! 5 Round up an orchestra to play for God, Add on a hundred-voice choir. 6 Feature trumpets and big trombones, Fill the air with praises to King God. 7 Let the sea and its fish give a round of applause, With everything living on earth joining in. 8 Let ocean breakers call out, "Encore!" And mountains harmonize the finale - 9 A tribute to God when he comes, When he comes to set the earth right. He'll straighten out the whole world, He'll put the world right, and everyone in it. (Psalm 98 The Message Bible)
A very Happy Thursday to you ConCafe Family, and my it be filled with blessings for you, wonderful Friend! May we together lift up our prayers and praise to the Lord today, not only in this devotional setting but in our ways of greeting, blessing, and interacting with others!
This coming Sunday is Mother's Day. It is a special day to honor our mothers. For some, it is a sad day because Mom has gone home to the Lord; others rejoice in having their moms; others are moms for the first time; and it really honors (or should) the women of the church for many are "mothers" in their own way to many. So, a Blessed, Safe, and Happy Mothers Day to all of our female ConCafe Family members! May God bless you and provide for you according to your needs.
Along those lines, what gifts does a mother deserve from her child? Well, let's start off with the obvious, love. A child that does not love his or her mother may have their reasons, but if those reasons are not truly justified, then some corrections, conversations, and remedies need to occur. The second gift should be the gift of respect. Yes, no mother is completely perfect and neither are we; but for their role in having brought us into the world, they merit top respect; and even if that was the last good act or deed she has done for you, still, you need to show respect to her and of her to others. And when you get to other gifts, well, that's between you and your pocketbook and your relationship with your mother. I say all this because this psalm as it speaks about our relationship with God, we are called to do more and go beyond what we normally offer. Yes, another dish towel or oven mitt are nice gifts, but if that's what she got last year, she may catch on that you don't want to go beyond the usual and share something that inspires her to greatness. Fathers, you know about ties. Remember ties? That long piece of fabric with designs not usually found in nature that begs us to place a noose around our necks thinking it makes us look nice. Okay, I will confess that I both love and hate ties. I don't much for what has become the norm of no tie and just a jacket and a nice dress shirt; but I am old. But when it comes to God, are we sharing with Him spiritual oven mitts and ties all the time?
The psalmist is saying, as we praise Him you might be inspired to sing a brand-new song that more aptly reflects the love and appreciation we have for God. After all, the psalmist writes, God made ''a world of wonders," and are we truly comfortable honoring and praising Him with something not wonderful? As "God rolled up His sleeves," to "set things right," so should we worship in a way that shows our hearts and souls and might were in the preparation and delivery of our worship to Him. After all, this gift of salvation is a pretty big deal, which means in God's heart, we're a pretty big deal and as such, should honor Him in the same way. I think a failing of the Church, which means I have had a part in it, as have most of us; is that we get comfortable really quickly and once we're in that "recliner mode" of praise, nothing can get us out of it. I once did a series of sermons on the Ten Commandments and I had our janitor bring in an old recliner we had somewhere in our building into the sanctuary and I came in wearing a bath robe over my sweatpants and sweat shirt; I came in with my piping hot tea and a copy of the Sunday newspaper. Most of the service I did not participate; I sat comfortably while everyone else stood and sat, prayed and sang; I sipped and read. Yes, I angered my choir, but what else was new? I then rose and preached that the commandment on coveting hit home in me. Yes, there are some Sundays, I admitted where I would rather stay home than come and preach and worship. But, thanks to God's help, I overcome that and fully and wholeheartedly, participate in what is a very real part of my life. But, boy is that temptation strong to stay seated, or reclined, or even in bed; when we should be inspired and moved to worship God in new ways. The psalmist has painted a great vivid picture complete with sound, of what a full-blown worship experience can be, if we but let it and do the work needed to make it meaningful to God and to us.
Oh, but God bless those who oppose such things. I can still remember the "guitar wars" of the 60s; and I've heard about the "electricity wars" of the 20s, the "microphone wars" of the 30s and 40s; the "air conditioning versus funeral home fans" wars of the 50s; and the 90s "screens in the worship space" wars of the 2000s; and the list goes on and on. We must remember, we are there to worship and please only God. Not us. And though there may be opposition, God must be worshiped in ways that honor Him in the way God deserves. Nature, the psalmist writes, is far ahead of us; nature does not know how to hold back anything, and neither should we.
PRAYER: Awesome God, please forgive our sameness and our reluctance and our holding back. You are a God who goes and does; and still find it in Your heart to love and forgive us, in spite of who we are. Move us to truly worship you with truly open hearts and filled spirits, for You are truly worth it. Move us to greatness in the ways we show the world how truly awesome You are; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Worship in a new way right now, right where you are! And practice that until the next time you are in church!
Receive my love and blessings of joy,
Pastor Eradio Valverde
