Sing for Joy

Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
Psalm 90:14 (NIV)

Psalm 90 is a psalm of Moses, a prayer for God to show the Israelites his mercy and His love every morning. It asks us to turn to the Lord and trust in Him and his unfailing love. When we accept His love, it satisfies us and brings us gladness and joy. In the King James Dictionary, the word satisfy definition is: “To gratify wants, wishes or desires to the full extent.” The faithful, unfailing love of God our Father satisfies and fulfills us, causing us to sing for joy.

22The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. 23Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.
Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT)

When we trust in the Lord, we find joy and can be glad all of our days. For the faithful love of the Lord never ends. His compassions do not fail. They are new every morning. The Lord’s mercies are new each morning, so we may sing for joy!

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Do you turn to the Lord to find satisfaction or try to go forward on your own when you are dissatisfied or upset? Does the Lord’s love and mercies lead you to sing for joy?

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love and mercy. Teach us to realize that Your love and mercies never cease. Satisfy us in the morning with Your mercies so we will sing with joy all our days! As the hibiscus flowers glow in the morning sun, let Your love glow in us, and let us grow closer to Your son, and be glad all our days. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

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Thanks, and Praise: Psalm 34:1-7

1 I will extol the Lord at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
Psalm 34:1

2 I will glory in the Lord;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
3 Glorify the Lord with me;
let us exalt his name together.
Psalm 34: 2-3 (NIV)

4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.
Psalm 34: 4-7 (NIV)

Americans are celebrating Thanksgiving this week. I am thankful for God’s love, mercy, and grace. “Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.” (Psalm34:3)

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Our Deliverer: Psalm 68:19

Blessed be the Lord who daily carries us. God is our deliverer.
Psalm 68:19 (ISV)

The Lord deserves praise! Day after day he carries our burden, the God who delivers us. (Selah)
Psalm 68:19 (NET)

Our God, our Heavenly Father, is the creator of us and the universe and our refuge and strength. There is nothing too difficult or heavy for Him to carry. He can carry and deal with any of our problems and concerns. Day after day, he provides care and carries us and our burdens. He is our deliverer, our hope, and our Savior.

Giving our burdens to the Lord frees us, allowing us to live for God; and respond with praise and thanksgiving. Relying on the Lord releases the weight of our burdens, bringing peace. Yes, our Lord deserves praise, for He is God for us forever.

Blessed be the Lord—
day after day he carries us along.
He’s our Savior, our God, oh yes!
He’s God-for-us, he’s God-who-saves-us.
Psalm 68:19 (MSG)

Are your burdens holding you down, or have you given them to the Lord, our deliverer, and lightened your load?

Our Heavenly Father, we praise and worship You. Thank You for Your provision and day-by-day care. Teach us to turn our burdens over to You, trusting in Your promises and strength. Lord, You are our deliverer and our hope, guide and direct us. Like the weigela’s open and trumpet-like flowers brighten spring, let us praise You with trumpets and song for You brighten our world. In Jesus’ name. Amen

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Spring Forth – Isaiah 61:11

For as the earth brings forth its bud, As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, So the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.
Isaiah 61:11 (NKJV)

The power of the Lord, and His beautiful care for earth, is shown in the repeated refrains of nature. The earth putting forth bud that open and grow into shoots, perennial plants that appear to die in the winter, return and revive and flourish in the spring. In the spring planted seeds sprouting and growing in the shining sun and reviving rains. These are all illustrations of the Lord’s divine power and his providence to mankind, providing food, shade, building supplies, and medicinal plants.

The Lord’s divine grace through Christ brings righteousness and salvation to spring forth in full bloom over all the earth. May all glory be given to the Lord in praise and thanksgiving by all nations.

For as the earth bursts with spring wildflowers,
and as a garden cascades with blossoms,
So the Master, God, brings righteousness into full bloom
and puts praise on display before the nations.
Isaiah 6:11 (MSG)

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, we thank You for the beauty and diversity of the earth. We are thankful for Your provision and care for us. Our praise with thanksgiving we raise to You. All Glory to you, God our powerful loving Lord. Like the nigella flowers spring forth from seeds, let righteousness and praise spring forth from us. In Jesus’s holy name. Amen

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The Lord will Rescue Me – 2 Timothy 4:18

¹⁶At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. ¹⁷But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. ¹⁸The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
2 Timothy 4:16-18 (NIV)

Second Timothy; was written by Paul while he was in prison. He was writing to encourage Timothy to assure him that God keeps His promises; He is faithful.

Paul praises God; he expected to die soon but was confident of his eternal destiny.

The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
2 Timothy 4:18 (NIV)

He had the assurance that the Lord would rescue him from evil and; bring him safely to His heavenly kingdom. Instead of despairing, he was able to rejoice in the Lord, saying, “To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen”.
For Christ is the power and glory forever and ever!

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Do you have assurance in God’s promises; that He will rescue you from evil and bring you safely to His heavenly kingdom?

Prayer; Lord, we thank You for helping us and rescuing us from evil. Teach us to rely on You and have faith in Your promises. As the Gerbera Daisy flowers spread upward; toward the sun, let us reach upward toward Christ Your Son. We raise our praises, to You be the glory forever and ever. Amen

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Perfect Faithfulness: Isaiah 25:1

Wonders: Psalm 40:5

O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us.
Your plans for us are too numerous to list.
You have no equal.
If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds,
I would never come to the end of them.
Psalm 40:5 (NLT)

David’s song of praise to God; “Lord my God, You have performed many wonders for us.” They are more than we can enumerate beyond what we can express.

You cannot count God’s thoughts of you. If he were only to think of us once, in tender mercy, that one thought would run on throughout eternity, for he does not retract either a thought that he thinks or a word that he utters. Instead thereof, one gracious thought is followed by another, swiftly as the beams of light flash from the sun, so that it is impossible for us to number them.
Spurgeon’s Bible Commentary

Your forgiveness, mercy, grace, and kindness surround us. Nothing can compare to God, He is Omnipotent, and there is nothing He cannot do. God is powerful, and He protects; He is gracious, He forgives, and; He is trustworthy; He keeps His promises.

Praise the Lord for His wonderful works, miracles, and His grace toward us! ⁂

God has performed many wonders for us; have you taken the time to respond with thanks and praise?

Prayer; O Lord, our wonderful Heavenly Father, we are in awe of Your majesty. We thank you for Your miracles and the many wonders You have done for us. No one can compare to You. Thank you for your grace, forgiveness, and love. As we marvel at the beauty of flowers, let us marvel at the beauty of Your grace and Your wonderful works, and give thanks. In Jesus’ holy and loving name.

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May the Lord be Praised-Psalm 40:16

May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you! May those who love to experience your deliverance say continually, “May the LORD be praised!”
Psalm 40:16 (NET)

May all who seek the Lord rejoice and be glad, be happy, and praise You. God’s love, promises, and truth bring joy and are reasons to celebrate. David wanted people to focus on the goodness of the Lord and rejoice.
Different versions have different worded rejoices; may the Lord be praised, may the Lord be magnified, and let the Lord be exalted, all praising the Lord for all He has done for us.

Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let those who love Your salvation say continually, “The LORD be magnified!”
Psalm 40:16 (AMP)

Thanks to our God of all mercies, comfort, and salvation. May the Lord be praised! He has delivered us from slavery to sin and promises to be with us always. May the Lord be magnified! Let us rejoice, for God loves us, has mercy on us, and gives us grace. May the Lord be exalted!

Constant worship clears the debris from our hearts. Praise is the cleansing element that flushes the trash of worry and anxiety.
Max Lucado “Help is Here”

The Lord has given us much to rejoice over and be glad about. Let us remember; to joyfully thank and praise the Lord for all He has done, is doing, and will do. ⁂

Do you take time to focus on the goodness of God and rejoice?

Prayer; Our Heavenly Father, God of grace, mercy, and salvation, we praise You! We exalt you, Lord, and thank you for your mercy, care, and protection. Teach us to be happy and rejoice; in your promises. May the Lord be magnified! As the flowers of the orchid are colorful and spread joy, let us rejoice and declare that the Lord be praised! In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

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Great Joy: Luke 2:10

Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.
Luke 2:10 (NKJV)

The angel said I bring you good tidings of great joy. Great joy for all people. What is the good news, the good tidings? The good news, the tidings of great joy, is the announcement of the birth of Jesus. God so loved the world; he sent His Son, Jesus, into the world.

11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
Luke 2:11 (NKJV)

The angel announced that Jesus had arrived; as a baby born in a stable in Bethlehem; since there was no room in the inn. Who did the angel inform, was it kings, nobles, or scholars? No, it was shepherds keeping watch over their flocks, the angel, informed of our Savior’s birth.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
Luke 2:13-14 (NKJV)

A multitude of angelic beings suddenly appeared bearing a message of comfort and joy; peace and goodwill toward all.

May Christmas glorify our savior’s birth and be filled with comfort, peace, goodwill, and great joy!

Prayer; Our Heavenly Father, we thank You for loving us and sending Your Son as our Savior. We celebrate the joy of Christ’s birth and praise You. As the angel proclaimed, I bring you tidings of great joy for all people; guide us in spreading the love and great joy of Jesus’ birth to others. Glory to you, our God in the highest! Teach us to walk in peace and exhibit goodwill to all. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

Merry Christmas! 🌺

Radiant: Psalm 34: 5-7

5 Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Psalm 34:5-7 (ESV)

In Psalm 34, David is praising the Lord, for the Lord answered his prayer for deliverance. This psalm was probably written by David, in praise, of his escape from the Philistine king, Abimelech.

Reaching out to the Lord in faith, with prayer during troubled times, we find hope. Our demeanor changes; we become radiant, cheerful, and calm. If we keep our eyes centered on the Lord, we will not walk in shame.

David describes a poor man (not in wealth), but desperate and afraid, who cried out to the Lord, and the Lord saves him from his troubles. The Lord is our strength, our hope, our light, and our joy. He will send His angels to protect us.

No longer downcast, when we take our troubles to the Lord in prayer, we glow; we are radiant.

5 Look at him; give him your warmest smile. Never hide your feelings from him. 6 When I was desperate, I called out, and God got me out of a tight spot. 7 God’s angel sets up a circle of protection around us while we pray.
Psalm 34:5-7 (MSG)

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When you go to the Lord in prayer, do you trust in Him and feel peace and radiant?

Prayer; Our holy loving Heavenly Father, teach us to release our fears to You; reaching out to You in prayer. Help us to grow in faith, trust You and be radiant with hope. Like a sunflower turns to the sun and glows, let us turn our worries over to You and glow with Your light. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

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