Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Heaviness of Praise

Today has definitely been an out of the ordinary day. It has been a good day, but one that has brought much heaviness to me. I don't use that word often, but it is really the only way to describe it.
Death, sickness, relationships, friend's struggles, prayer needs, sin, confession, praise - all of that is brought before the Lord.
So, I went to workout and one of the first songs I heard was by Brooklyn Tab - definitely a favorite of mine:
Total Praise - ending with Amen!
Lord, I will lift up my eyes to the hills,
knowing my help is coming from You.
Your peace You give me in time of the storm.
You are the source of my strength,

You are the strength of my life;
I lift up my hands in total praise to You

And then that brought to mind the psalm that the song comes from: Ps 121. I love it. I was able to sing the above song in Southeastern's choir and in the Summit choir - different arrangements, but with the same valuable and life-changing Words (the Word is living and active)

I will lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come? (our help comes from no other place)
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. (He is creator)
He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. (He knows what is going on here on earth)
Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep
The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand
. (He provides comfort and stability in times of strife and unknown-ness)
The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. (What harm can come to us that He doesn't know about?)
The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. (He is the grand keeper and sustainer)
The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. (He knows the very hours of our lives and what will happen - that is the blessing of knowing we serve a BIG GOD!)

So, sing loud - even with a heavy heart - He is still a BIG GOD!

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