Today we will again focus mostly on our Psalm. Our reading from Genesis is the genealogy of Esau. This will be important because Edom will become great and powerful. They will also become a thorn in Israel's side. They will even be God's agent of judgment upon Israel's wickedness. But in the end, Edom will be judged for its wickedness as well. All this is coming down the line. But we see the beginnings of the nation of Edom today. With no further comments on that, we read our Genesis chapter, and then focus on the psalm.
Read Genesis 36
Read Psalm 33
Quote from Luther: "The 33rd psalm is a psalm of thanks to God in general for His blessings, for helping His faithful people in all kinds of distress, and for not letting them perish. He is able to help because He made all things and still creates all things with a word, so that nothing is impossible with Him. God is also so good and true that He will help and willingly helps, as He promised in the First Commandment, 'I will be your God,' that is, I will be your comfort, help, salvation, life, and all good things, and I will stand against anything that would do you harm. That's what it means to 'be God.'" Reading the Psalms with Luther, CPH.
So, why is it that we get so distressed and worried? Obstacles stand in our way, and we panic! The future seems unclear, and we are afraid! There is even a hint of trouble, and we wring our hands and shake our heads!
So easily we get discouraged. So easily we are afraid. So easily we forget to pray and trust, thinking that if we don't know the answer, or we can't provide the solution, then we must be doomed!
But God is the one who created everything out of nothing with only a word! God is the one who still creates, who still provides, who still takes care of me. An army can't save me. God can. Money can't provide for me. God can. Medicine can't heal me. God can. My strength cannot carry me through this time of trial. God can.
God can. God will. You see, you were created by the Word of God. Not just your physical life, but your spiritual lives in Christ. The Word was spoken over you "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," and water was administered according to the command of Christ, and you were remade. You were reborn. You were gifted with new life in Christ.
Your body and soul, fashioned by the Father, redeemed by the Son, sanctified (made holy) by the Holy Spirit is precious to our loving Triune God. He knows your need. He loves you. He hears your persistent prayers. He creates a solution to your problems. If all things are not worked out the way we would like them, we can take comfort knowing that they are worked out the way that is best for us now in this life. And in the next...well, we will have the New Heaven and New Earth, created at the command of God, to be our eternal home of blessing. God promises. And since God's Word creates, his promise makes it so. Amen. Thanks be to God!
Ask Yourself:
What am I worried about today?
What threats or unknowns in the future cause me great concern?
What can I do to remind myself that our powerful, creative God will direct our future as he has our past?
Pray:
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.
Study with me tomorrow,
Pastor Jon
Soli Deo Gloria!
Why is this type of thanksgiving, "shout for joy" or "give thanks with the lyre" only characteristic of "spirit-based" congregations?
ReplyDeleteAre we, as Lutherans, incapable of showing this type of thanksgiving?
I would beg the question and argue, rather, that we do those things, just possibly in a different way than some other churches. (We're talking generalizations, so of course there will be exceptions).
ReplyDeleteI would argue first that on an individual level we do this. "Shout for joy" is an emotional response, and we have moments of emotional joy and thanksgiving throughout the week. Praising God with the lyre...well, we use many instruments, and many other forms of expression (words, paintings, movement) to glorify God and praise him. So on an individual level, I would argue that Lutherans do this all the time.
In a corporate setting tend to be more temperate. I find that to be fitting. We can glorify God with emotional responses, but as a congregation of people, we can't all participate in the shout of joy. The member suffering great pain to the body, who is in the process of dying, is there for spiritual peace. The member who has lost a loved one cannot shout, but is there to receive comfort. The one who burns with guilt over secret sins is there to hear the forgiveness. Now, I hope and pray that as the Word of God in the service delivers to them peace, comfort, and forgiveness that they can thank God and find joy (if not happiness). But a bunch of hoopla isn't going to be something everyone in the service can relate to. We do things orderly, as Paul instructs. We do things for the edifying of all the worshipers, as Paul instructs. And we focus on what we can all do in common - hearing, receiving grace, praying, yes, even singing.
But there are times when our responses are louder ("Thanks be to God!"), and our celebrations more joyful (Easter, Christmas, Reformation). So also in the every Sunday worship experience there are elements that perhaps the somber find too joyful (and the joyful find too somber). But because emotional responses are not the focus (but rather the focus is Christ) we tend not to dance in the aisles, nor sit weeping.
But those are my 2 cents. In this economy, it might only be worth 1.
I have been to Easter and Christmas services before which, aside from the music, was quite depressing. There was no shouting, just the droned "He has risen indeed," which we all could repeat in our sleep.
ReplyDeleteI see your point, but I only see this type of attitude in certain people. I certainly don't feel like I shout thanks to God enough.
I don't know if you see this where you are, but out here we have tons of the giant power spirit led churches, which are "stealing" our youth's attention. So, it just leaves me to wonder, how do we capture some of that to bring back our youth? Or do we just praise God that they are in youth group at all?