[DISPLAY_ULTIMATE_SOCIAL_ICONS]
Today: Psalms 69:29-36; Acts 1:23-26; Acts 2:1-21; 2 Samuel 5:6-25; 2 Samuel 6
Psalms 69
“I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving.” Psalm 69:30
Sometimes praise is a spontaneous outflow of our hearts when we are overwhelmed by God’s great love for us. Those are my favorite times!
There are other times when we are tired, or struggling with something, that we don’t necessarily FEEL like praising God. But David CHOSE to praise God anyway, even when he was “poor and sorrowful.” (v.29)
When we CHOOSE to praise God, even when we don’t feel like it, then we learn a wonderful secret… CHOOSING to praise is actually the CURE for sorrow. Praising God when you don’t feel like it lifts up your spirit so that you DO feel like praising. “And you who seek God, your hearts shall live.” (v.32) The people who choose to praise will be lifted up; “those who love His name shall dwell in [Zion].” (v.36) Praise is the key to joy!
Acts 2 – Day of Pentecost
What an amazing day was Pentecost when the Holy Spirit arrived to stay! Jesus had returned!!
And Jesus is STILL with each of us TODAY, as the Holy Spirit, and lives within the soul of every single Christian. Don’t discount the power of the Holy Spirit. What a fantastic gift it is that the creator of the universe actually lives inside of us. It is too marvelous to even fully comprehend!
The biggest shift that has ever taken place in the history of humankind had just happened. First, God came to us as a man and performed great miracles. Then He died and came back to life to provide a way of salvation for us. He was only here in human form for a few short years. But He returned in spirit form to stay with us for the rest of our time here on this planet. He’s not leaving us again. And this, THIS is the time period we currently find ourselves in.
Peter described it like this:
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath; blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” Acts 2:17-21
WE are living in “those days” right now!
2 Samuel 6
David was not a perfect man, but he loved God with all his heart and soul. It was quite a passionate love affair that we see displayed in David’s beautiful Psalms. When the Ark of the Covenant, where God’s presence dwelt, was brought into Zion, the City of David, there was a great celebration. David “danced before the LORD with all his might” and there was “shouting” and “the sound of the trumpet.” (v.14-15)
Sounds like some of the crazy charismatic church services I have attended!
I love both liturgical and charismatic worship. There is a place for, and great beauty in both. I practice a little bit of both every day!
But how I LOVE loud bold boisterous crazy worship! God is worthy of it!! Sometimes my heart is so overwhelmed by my love for God that I couldn’t keep silent if I tried. I often feel just like David when he told his wife, Michal, “I will play music before the LORD, and I will be even more undignified than this!” (v.21-22)
