Thursday Psalms: God's Great River!

Today's Psalm is the fourth of five "Hallelujah" psalms which close out this fabulous songbook.  It seems curious; joyful praise to the Lord is suddenly interrupted with calls for God's vengeance and punishment.  This psalm describes a festival procession to the Temple, apparently celebrating a victory over an opposing nation.  But what does God say to you & me today in this psalm?

PSALM 149    

¹ Praise the Lord!

      Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise in the assembly of the godly!

² Let Israel be glad in his Maker;

      let the children of Zion rejoice in their King!

³ Let them praise His name with dancing,

      making melody to Him with tambourine and lyre!

⁴ For the Lord takes pleasure in His people;

      He adorns the humble with salvation.

⁵ Let the godly exult in glory;

      let them sing for joy on their beds.

⁶ Let the high praises of God be in their throats

      and two-edged swords in their hands,

⁷ to execute vengeance on the nations

      and punishments on the peoples,

⁸ to bind their kings with chains

      and their nobles with fetters of iron,

⁹ to execute on them the judgment written!

      This is honor for all His godly ones.

           Praise the Lord! 

Check out verse 4, a great proclamation of God's gospel message for you & me.  The Lord, the all-powerful, all-knowing, all-creating God takes pleasure in YOU!  God loves YOU, and He delights in YOU [nota bene Psalm 35:27, Isaiah 62:4].  He does NOT delight in your struggles, your failures, your sins.  No, the Lord delights in saving you, He takes pleasure in rescuing you.  

The Lord adorns you with salvation!  Adorning is a cool word here.  Adorn means to decorate, to honor, to lift up.  The Lord adorns you with an eternal crown of everlasting life!  The Lord adorns you with a white robe, washed clean in the blood of the Lamb [Revelation 12:14].  Every single day, the Lord adorns you with His forgiveness, setting you free from the guilt and shame of all your sins!

Join me today in giving our best and most sincere thanks to the Lord, who adorns us with His love and forgiveness!

Peace in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188     mobile:  248.881.7627

We are Pilgrims with a Purpose:  

     Sharing God’s Love & Mercy with Each Other & the World.

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Soli Deo Gloria

“You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your Word." Psalm 119:114