Psalm 149
1 Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a new song,
his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
2 Let Israel be glad in its 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 victory.
5 Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy on their couches.
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 punishment on the peoples,
8 to bind their kings with fetters
and their nobles with chains of iron,
9 to execute on them the judgment decreed.
This is glory for all his faithful ones.
Praise the Lord!
I often think about home as a special place where I'm most comfortable and most at ease. I've made homes across the United States, and while the place itself has been important, it's "home-ness" has really come from the creatures that inhabit the place, the love and joy that fill the place, the sense that it is a place to come back to.
In this Psalm, I can feel the love and joy that the Psalmist has for God, and I particularly love the line "let them sing for joy on their couches." My couch (when we had a couch) has often been a place of rest... but I wonder how that place of rest could be a place of joy and a place of praising God.
This Lent, I've set aside one of the walls in our home as a prayer wall. It's become a place where I've posted prayers for peace, healing, thanksgiving, and discernment for myself, my family, our community of faith and for the larger world. I've tried to make our home a place that brings me closer to God, to whom I come back for rest and peace... and to be reminded of love and joy in my life.
Andy shared this piece of music with me, writing that he was feeling nostalgic for his father's homeland. As you listen, I invite you to reflect on these questions:
What places do you call home?
How do you experience God as home?
What brings you joy in this Lenten season?
Sing to the Lord a new song,
his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
2 Let Israel be glad in its 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 victory.
5 Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy on their couches.
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 punishment on the peoples,
8 to bind their kings with fetters
and their nobles with chains of iron,
9 to execute on them the judgment decreed.
This is glory for all his faithful ones.
Praise the Lord!
I often think about home as a special place where I'm most comfortable and most at ease. I've made homes across the United States, and while the place itself has been important, it's "home-ness" has really come from the creatures that inhabit the place, the love and joy that fill the place, the sense that it is a place to come back to.
In this Psalm, I can feel the love and joy that the Psalmist has for God, and I particularly love the line "let them sing for joy on their couches." My couch (when we had a couch) has often been a place of rest... but I wonder how that place of rest could be a place of joy and a place of praising God.
This Lent, I've set aside one of the walls in our home as a prayer wall. It's become a place where I've posted prayers for peace, healing, thanksgiving, and discernment for myself, my family, our community of faith and for the larger world. I've tried to make our home a place that brings me closer to God, to whom I come back for rest and peace... and to be reminded of love and joy in my life.
Andy shared this piece of music with me, writing that he was feeling nostalgic for his father's homeland. As you listen, I invite you to reflect on these questions:
What places do you call home?
How do you experience God as home?
What brings you joy in this Lenten season?
No comments:
Post a Comment