Category: Psalms

  • Sing Praises

    This morning I was reading in the Psalms. Psalms 120-134 is a group of 15 psalms, traditionally sung by the Jews when going to the temple, the Shir HaMa’alot (literally the songs of going up or the songs of ascent). I picture a crowd of worshippers climbing the road to Jerusalem, singing together, like a group of Christians might sing familiar hymns a cappella.

    There is something moving when a group of believers gathers and praises corporately. I remember a Promise Keepers rally decades ago; I can’t remember who spoke or what they spoke on, but I do remember tens of thousands of men, their voices united, singing praises to the Lord. What a moment.

    The Christian faith is both highly personal and communal. Each of us has a personal relationship with Jesus, but that relationship is designed to function in a larger body of believers. A solo Christian, outside the body, is not functioning as God designed us. 

    We serve one another, bless one another, love one another. We grow together, hold each other accountable and learn to extend and receive forgiveness and grace. We worship together, sing together and encourage each other.

    When the congregation sings a familiar tune, and every voice is lifted in praise, it moves us, and I am certain it praises the Lord. Now, certainly not all of us have great singing voices. My voice was once compared to a bear in work boots walking through a gravel pit. I don’t know exactly what that sounds like, but I know it wasn’t complimentary.

    The point isn’t how well you sing. It’s about opening your hearts and voices to the one who loved us beyond measure and deserves all honor, glory and praise. That’s what the Jewish people would do on the way up to Jerusalem.

    The Word encourages us to sing praises to God.

    Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Psalm 95:1 ESV

    And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart. Ephesians 5:18-19 ESV

    Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16 ESV

    To borrow a line from a children’s song, ‘Don’t worry that it’s not good enough for anyone else to hear, just sing.” God knows your voice; He gave it to you, and He delights in hearing your song.

    Sing His praises.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

    SUMMARY

    I’ve been struck by the power of believers lifting their voices together in praise. Our voices don’t have to be beautiful for God to delight in them.

    TAKEAWAY

    A solo Christian, cut off from other believers, isn’t functioning the way God designed you to.

    Your voice doesn’t need to sound good for God to delight in it.

    Scripture commands you to address other believers in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.

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  • Two bees or not two bees?

    Thoughts on Psalm 119

    I snapped this shot in the backyard recently for no particular purpose. I didn’t realize there were two bees inside the dahlia flower. One is quite visible; the second is almost hidden by the first bee and the flower petals.

    Our backyard is popular with the bees. Usually, I see bumblebees like these, and occasionally a honeybee. There are also plenty of solitary bees. There are more than 50 bee species that live in BC, most of which are quite small, and I just don’t notice them.

    I might be related to Winnie the Pooh because when I see bees, I think of honey. Bumble bees don’t make honey the way honeybees do. They make far less, not enough to be harvestable; still, in my mind, a bee equals honey.

    Thinking of honey brought to mind a scripture passage.

    Oh how I love your law!

    It is my meditation all the day.

    Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,

    for it is ever with me.

    I have more understanding than all my teachers,

    for your testimonies are my meditation.

    I understand more than the aged,

    for I keep your precepts.

    I hold back my feet from every evil way,

    in order to keep your word.

    I do not turn aside from your rules,

    for you have taught me.

    How sweet are your words to my taste,

    sweeter than honey to my mouth!

    Through your precepts I get understanding;

    therefore I hate every false way. Psalm 119:97-104 ESV

    Psalm 119 is devoted to praising the Law of God, its beauty and usefulness. 

    It’s an alphabetical acrostic poem, with its 176 verses grouped into 8 verse sections. The first letter (in Hebrew) of each section begins with a consecutive letter of the Hebrew alphabet: aleph, beth and so on. It’s a marvel of literary construction. It’s not the only alphabetic acrostic in the Psalms but is certainly the largest,

    More importantly, though, is its deep, resonant theme of the goodness of God and His Word. I wonder if we have the same appreciation for the Scriptures that the Psalmist did.

    I love reading the Word, but I confess I don’t always think of it as sweeter than honey. I can often find other things to read or fill my time with instead of the Scriptures.

    When I do read it, I sometimes neglect to consider it as a whole. It was written over 1500 years, on three continents in 3 languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek) by about 40 authors. Yet it presents an incredibly cohesive story.

    It’s a book that has survived many efforts to eradicate it and still remains the best-selling book in the world today. That doesn’t include the number of Bibles available as apps or online. It’s a trend that shows no sign of ending. In fact, in the US, the number of Bibles sold in 2025 doubled the sales of 2018. 

    Are you reading yours? Is it sweeter than honey? Are you applying what you read?

    Read the Word. Read the Word. Read the Word.

    Kevin

    SUMMARY

    Two bees hid in a backyard dahlia and got me thinking about honey and Psalm 119. It left me asking if I treasure God’s word as sweeter than honey, or just fill my time elsewhere.

    TAKEAWAY

    Is God’s word sweeter than honey to you, or do you turn to other things instead?

    Remember the Bible is one story, not scattered pieces, even though it took 1,500 years and about 40 authors to write.

    Are you reading your Bible? Are you applying what you read?

    #Dahlia #Bumblebee #ScriptureOfTheDay #BackyardGarden

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