Ascribe To the LORD

Today is Saturday, May 19, 2018. Day 21,982.

Tomorrow is Pentecost Sunday.

“We need not to be let alone. We need to be really bothered once in a while. How long is it since you were really bothered? About something important, about something real?” ~ Ray Bradbury (1920-2012) (The Quotations Page)

The word for today is unfettered, an adjective which means, “free, unrestrained.”

Yesterday turned out to be a rather long day, at work. We put in right at two hours of overtime, so I didn’t get home until almost 7:30 PM. C got home before me and got the chili started, and she did the dishes, too, which I was planning to do after I got home. Bless her! While we ate our chili, we tried watching the most recent performance episode of The Voice. To be honest, we stopped watching before the top twelve were decided, because the contestants were utterly unremarkable. None of them are great singers, and every performance that we heard had some seriously pitchy moments. This week’s performance show was no different. We probably won’t watch any more, this season. That’s a shame, too, because it has historically been one of our favorite shows to watch. We enjoy the interaction between the coaches, but I have grown weary of them not being honest with the singers, and only telling them how great they are, no doubt to try to seduce the audience to vote for them. But my opinion is that most people decide who they are going to vote for before the performances even happen.

The Red Sox lost to the O’s last night, 7-4. Not a good outing for Drew Pomeranz, losing to one of the worst teams in MLB. Fortunately, the Yankees also lost. To another one of the worst teams, the Royals. What is up with this?? Anyway, they are still in a virtual tie for first place in the AL East, and I guess that’s all that matters. There is a difference of .016 percentage points between them. The Red Sox have a record of 30-15, and they do enjoy the privilege of being the only team in MLB that has won 30 games.

The Rangers jumped all over the White Sox last night, 12-5. Again, this reminds me so much of the Rangers teams of the seventies. They would struggle so much, then, occasionally have a breakout game like this one. They are 18-28 on the season.

There are four teams that have lost 30 games. The White Sox, the Royals, the Orioles, and the Reds.

Today, we have a doctor’s appointment for S, her yearly checkup. This happens in just over an hour. It looks like I will be taking her, and then picking up our Kroger Click List order afterward. I may run in to the store before picking up the order, as I realized that I forgot a couple of items when making our order.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS
All Scriptures are from the ESV unless otherwise noted

Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth! 
Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. 
Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! 
For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods. 
For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens. 
Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. 
Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! 
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts! 
Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth! 
Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.” 
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; 
let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy 
before the LORD, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness.
Psalm 96

This is a magnificent Psalm, calling for the worship and adoration of almighty God! “Ascribe to the LORD,” “Worship the LORD,” “Declare his glory . . .” John Piper said, in the introduction to Let the Nations Be Glad, “Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t.” I have always loved that quote. The reason for evangelism is that there are many people who are not following the commands of Psalms like this; they don’t declare his glory, they don’t ascribe to him the glory due his name.

But we do, at least in part. Not perfectly, no, because, even in our zeal for him, we are still imperfect in our ways. But we praise him and worship him. I wish that I could hear the melody that went with Psalm 96.

Father, Thank you for inspiring the psalmist to write these words, calling us all to worship you in the splendor of your glory. Bring them to my mind when I gather with the saints, tomorrow morning, and we sing your praises. How great is our God!! Yes, Lord!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you. Psalm 33:22

Grace and peace, friends.