Songs of Joy and Praise
Psalm 103
(v.1) To some of us, this seems backwards...doesn't God do the blessing, and we receive them? Well, yes, but we can bless God back as well. When we are faithful and obedient, we are blessing Him. When we love and serve others, we are blessing Him. When we let Him direct our paths and give Him the glory when we succeed, we bless Him.
(v.8) The God of the Old Testament is often confused with the God of the New Testament...the One in the OT seems judgmental and full of wrath, where the One in the NT is forgiving and merciful. He is all these things, at all times. If we look at how long God waited for the people of the world to repent, before He brought the Flood of Noah, we see that He's patient and longing for His creation to love Him. So many times throughout the OT, we see God answer the cries of His people, even though they didn't deserve His favor. I like to have my kids recall as many instances of mercy and grace God does in the OT.
(v.9) Even though God is love and He's patient and merciful, He will one day bring judgment upon the earth. That will be a terrible day, since the world will endure great terror and darkness. Even though God is kind, He is just, and He must bring justice upon those who are wicked and refuse His offer of grace.
(v.12) Isn't it wonderful to read this verse?!? No matter what we did prior, once we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, our sins are forgiven! God will remove them from His memory, since when He sees us, He sees the blood of His Son on us, and we're righteous in His eyes!
(v.13) Anyone who is a parent can relate to this verse...we love our kids, so we discipline them, but we always love them. There is a big difference between punishing and disciplining. Discipline is constructive and loving. Here are some great verses to show our kids that discipline is done out of love:
Psalm 23:4
Proverbs 13:24, 22:15, 23:13, 29:15
Isaiah 11:1
Ezekiel 20:37
Psalm 104
(v.15) This is a great verse for two reasons. First, today's nutritionists have found that wheat germ is good for your heart...it has vitamin E in abundance in wheat. How did the psalmist know this? I tell my kids he didn't, but God did!
Secondly, Jesus said He is the Bread of Life in John 6:35
(v.19) The placing of the moon and sun in relation to earth is astounding! If either one is just a fraction closer or further away, life could not exist on earth. God holds all things together Col 1:17 and He keeps them there for His purposes. One day, that will change, but I like to show my kids that it's impossible and silly to believe that we have the fours seasons each year as a matter of chance. God designed it that way!
(v.26) Dinosaurs and ancient creatures are mentioned in the Bible, but not to prove that God made them, it is assumed and expected. I strongly urge all parents to keep a close eye on the teachings of evolution to our kids...it is not Biblical. God created EVERYTHING in six literal days, and to veer away from that is to deem the Bible as flawed. If it is flawed, then how do you know what to believe? Science today, more and more, is proving the Bible true, concerning the fallacies of evolution, confirming the Flood of Noah, and all the other events that are written in the Word!
Psalm 113
(v.1) Praise the Lord is also said this way: Hallelujah
(v.3) All of us get trapped and ensnared by our jobs, kids and personal lives, that we often neglect to worship God throughout the day. One way to remedy this, is to just talk with God in short prayers all day. Talk to Him as if He's right there next to you...because He is! While in school, or in the car, or at work, we should ask God to guide us in all that we do during the day.
(v.8) God uses the lowly and poor to teach the world. One day, all of us common people will be kings and priests, and rule with Jesus! Rev 5:10
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