May 17, 2023 — Psalm 33

“Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous. Praise befits the upright. Praise the Lord with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings. Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts. For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all their host by the breath of his mouth. He gathered the waters of the sea as in a bottle; he put the deeps in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.” Psalm 33:1-9

“What do you think of when you take a walk in the woods, or watch the beautiful white, puffy clouds float by, or gaze down from a lofty mountain peak upon the valley far below, or hear the birds sing in the trees? Do you think of God, the Creator who has built a beautiful habitation for man, and keeps the balance of nature perfectly? There is no “mother nature.” God alone can claim the glory for this world and all that is within it.” (devotional-reflections-from-the-bible.com; Psalm 33) 

What I missed most about worship during the pandemic was the music. When I do a service that is just the spoken word there is an element that, as Lutherans we have become so accustomed — and that is the organ and other instruments and voices that join together in praises to G-d. Musical instruments have their place in the place and the manner in which we rejoice in the Lord. The church organ, the church choir, the church bells, the church trumpet, the church flute, etc. are not to be despised. It’s not to be viewed as a distraction to worshipping the Lord. Having instruments accompanying our singing and our worshipping the Lord is appropriate – actually, it’s commanded in this psalm.

With hearts and voices and instruments tuned to sing G-d’s praise, we join in a long line of worshippers who have done the same before us. When the congregation gathers to sing and shout praises to G-d, I always appreciate the instruments and voices that bless our worship every time we gather.

Prayer: We thank You, Lord, for all the good that You have shown us from the days of our childhood. Continue to multiply Your mercies upon us, keep us in Your fear and favor, cause us to walk in Your praise, protect us from all enemies, both visible and invisible, and grant us, like Simeon of old, to depart in peace, through Christ, our Savior.

Amen.

May 16, 2023 — Psalm 32

“Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. While I kept silence, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not hide my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Therefore let all who are faithful offer prayer to you; at a time of distress, the rush of mighty waters shall not reach them. You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with glad cries of deliverance. I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding, whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle, else it will not stay near you. Many are the torments of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the Lord. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart.” Psalm 32

“What a wondrous God we have, and what great joy the Godly have in the forgiveness of the Lord. The wicked here are compared to the mule and horse which can only be moved with a bridle in their mouth; many sorrows will come to the wicked. Not so the Christian. We have a hiding place in God who will preserve us from trouble. His great mercy and forgiveness surrounds the righteous. The Godly have every confidence in this mighty God who not only forgives our sins, but will take us to be with Him forever.” (devotional-reflections-from-the-bible.com; Psalm 32)

“Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven” — I would say that all of us feel that way — those who are in the business of seeking forgiveness and spending serious time focusing upon our sinfulness. I know this does not sound like something to spend every moment of every day focusing time on — pondering our sinfulness. But there are no words that have more meaning to me and to so many Christians than the words: “Your sins are forgiven.”

As a pastor I get to see the smile on people’s faces, or the relief that is evident when they hear those words: “Your sins are forgiven.” These words are life-affirming — they are redeeming — they are to be an integral part of our daily if not weekly walk of faith.

The Psalmist continues: “I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Therefore let all who are faithful offer prayer to you.” Take the time in your day to look to G-d to say “I confess my transgressions to you, Lord” — and know that when you do, our Lord is saying back to you “Your sins are forgiven.”

Prayer: O God, our heavenly Father, with whom is grace and much forgiveness, be merciful to us who were born in sin and cannot but sin and fall short every day. Forgive us our many transgressions and account them against us no more, but make us Your heirs through Jesus Christ, Your beloved Son, who was delivered into death for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification. Amen.

Pastor Dave