I’m so ready to forget all world thoughts swirling around my head and center all my attention on You, God.  I want to worship you with all that is in me.  I want to remember all the ways you have provided and protected and praise you alone.  Yes, I am so ready to thank you for each glorious act of your mercy and grace.  I want to shout to the world how much you love us and how you are teaching me to love more deeply and intimately.  The world needs to know about your love that led you to come down and save us.  You gave your life for my life.  I’m so ready to hear from you, to be led by you and to obey you completely with no holds, nothing held back. 

But the battle isn’t over just yet.  The enemy still persists in drawing our attention away from you.  He works hard to show us all the ways to keep so busy in all things that we become confused and full of anxiety.  He may be the prince of this world but you are the King of kings and Lord of lords!  You win.  You are all that our enemy is not.  So, our trust and faith are built on nothing less than you, the rock of our existence and salvation.  Your promises are true and everlasting!

My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

On Christ, the solid rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand,
all other ground is sinking sand.

The worship leader took the first five verses from 57:7-11 and the last eight from 60:5-12 and made a new psalm. (See those psalms.) God’s truth is adaptable to new situations and old songs become “new songs” when new challenges are matched with changeless theology. The writer opened with praise to the Lord (vv. 1-5) and then reminded Him of His promises to conquer Israel’s enemies and give them the land (vv. 6-9). He closed with prayer for God’s help and an expression of confidence in the power of the Lord (vv. 10-13).

Praise, prayer, and promises form a combination found often in the psalms, a pattern that we ought to imitate in our own daily lives!

Worship and Wisdom, Psalm and Proverbs

Psalm 108, The Message

^1-2 I’m ready, God, so ready,
    ready from head to toe.
Ready to sing,
    ready to raise a God-song:
“Wake, soul! Wake, lute!
    Wake up, you sleepyhead sun!”

^3-6 I’m thanking you, God, out in the streets,
    singing your praises in town and country.
The deeper your love, the higher it goes;
    every cloud’s a flag to your faithfulness.
Soar high in the skies, O God!
    Cover the whole earth with your glory!
And for the sake of the one you love so much,
    reach down and help me—answer me!

^7-9 That’s when God spoke in holy splendor:
    “Brimming over with joy,
I make a present of Shechem,
    I hand out Succoth Valley as a gift.
Gilead’s in my pocket,
    to say nothing of Manasseh.
Ephraim’s my hard hat,
    Judah my hammer.
Moab’s a scrub bucket—
    I mop the floor with Moab,
Spit on Edom,
    rain fireworks all over Philistia.”

^10-11 Who will take me to the thick of the fight?
    Who’ll show me the road to Edom?
You aren’t giving up on us, are you, God?
    refusing to go out with our troops?

^12-13 Give us help for the hard task;
    human help is worthless.
In God we’ll do our very best;
    he’ll flatten the opposition for good.

TRUTH: “The deeper your love, the higher it goes; every cloud’s a flag to your faithfulness.”  Yes, Lord, I’m so ready to tell your story and praise your name all day long.

Christ alone
Cornerstone
Weak made strong
In the Saviour’s love
Through the storm
He is Lord
Lord of all

You will always be, Lord, oh, yeah…

Proverb 30:3-6, The Message

“I flunked ‘wisdom.’
    I see no evidence of a holy God.
Has anyone ever seen Anyone
    climb into Heaven and take charge?
    grab the winds and control them?
    gather the rains in his bucket?
    stake out the ends of the earth?
Just tell me his name, tell me the names of his sons.
    Come on now—tell me!”

WISDOM:  The believer replied, “Every promise of God proves true;
    he protects everyone who runs to him for help.
So don’t second-guess him;
    he might take you to task and show up your lies.”

Abba Father,

You are the center of my life and the cornerstone of my faith.  My hope and faith is built on You.  My trust is in You.  So, that’s why I’m always ready to praise you, prayer asking for your help based on your promises and the realty of your glory and power.  Your promises to be with us, help us, and see us through troubles and perplexities of this life hold true.  You are God and I am not.  I need you every hour of every day and I praise you for being there every time.  Thank you for your saving grace, your mercy and unending love.  Thank you for your Holy Presence in all lives who believe in you.  Continue to work out your salvation in me.  Teach me your ways.  Keep me focused on the One and Only who gives life eternal.

In Jesus Name, Amen