Praise to you, for you, and from you

OK, it’s May.

I’ve been a BAD blogger.  I really have…but I have an excuse.  I started a new job and it is BUSY.  However, I see light at the end of the tunnel.  Hopefully, it’s not the headlight of an oncoming train.

The chronological read has just exploded with juicy goodness. Today, we marched thru a bunch of great Psalms.  What drew my particular attention was Psalm 22.

Not only does this Psalm contain major prophesies, some of which Jesus says word for word on the cross (“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? – Ps 22:1 | Matt 27:46) – in it we see  pattern of someone, an innocent person,  who is so desperately seeking a God who seems far off, and they are in deep distress.

What is really cool is that in the midst of this, the Psalmist looks forward to his vindication – looks forward to God rescuing him out of this despair.  There is a confidence in it as he recalls how God has delivered him in the past. (v21).

There is also the promise that he will give praise to God, public praise to God – as a testimony.

v22 –

I will tell of your name to my brothers;

in the midst of the congregation I will praise you

When we gather together on Sundays, is there that sense of reflecting on the Lord’s goodness to us during the week and praising Him? Or even, more closely to the storyline of this Psalm – looking forward in the midst of the trial itself to God’s deliverance and our future praising of Him?

The other thing that hit me is v25:

From you comes my praise in the great congregation

Sometimes we feel that we muster up the praise…like it’s something that we ourselves generate. This verse says otherwise.  Our praise to God comes FROM God.  How cool is that?  He puts the praise within us then that we give as an offering back to Him. He has mercy on us and delivers us from trial and puts the songs of praise in our hearts to praise Him publically.

He truly is the source and focus of all our praise.  Hasn’t he created us, redeemed us by the blood of Jesus on the cross alone, and sustained (sustains) us?

Good thoughts on a Wednesday morning to make me look forward to Sunday worship!