Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
Praise Him in the heights!
Praise Him, all His angels;
Praise Him, all His hosts!
Praise Him, sun and moon;
Praise Him, all stars of light!
Praise Him, highest heavens,
And the waters that are above the heavens!
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For He commanded and they were created.
He has also established them forever and ever;
He has made a decree which will not pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth,
Sea monsters and all deeps;
Fire and hail, snow and clouds;
Stormy wind, fulfilling His word;
Mountains and all hills;
Fruit trees and all cedars;
Beasts and all cattle;
Creeping things and winged fowl;
Kings of the earth and all peoples;
Princes and all judges of the earth;
Both young men and virgins;
Old men and children.
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For His name alone is exalted;
His glory is above earth and heaven.
And He has lifted up a horn for His people,
Praise for all His godly ones;
Even for the sons of Israel, a people near to Him.
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 148:1-14

In yesterday’s passage we were reminded of the glory of God and how God’s hand is revealed in redemptive history.

We just celebrated Thanksgiving, a holiday in which people of all beliefs express gratitude. But to you and I as believers it has a deeper meaning: an opportunity to reflect on our Redeemer and His faithfulness to us. But it is not biblical to be grateful once a year. Rather we are made to worship, just as we are made to breathe.

In today’s passage we are reminded that God created everything through His Son and all creation worships God. He commanded and they were created (v. 5). Think about that. There is great beauty in nature and it all was spoken into existence by Jesus. But there is greater beauty in God’s story of the people whom He loves, from Adam and Eve to you and I.

A baby who is loved doesn’t wonder who is the most important person in its life, it is obvious by the mother’s actions, in her embraces, in her providing for the child continually. It is also obvious by the baby’s actions. Any Sunday school teacher knows that a typical infant becomes anxious when mom leaves the room and lights up when she returns.

Worship is, during the ups and downs of everyday life, resting in our Father’s character and demonstrating through our actions that we continually and completely trust in Him to care for us.
Jesus defined worship this way: "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:23-24.

True spiritual worship begins in a heart that finds its complete satisfaction in its creator, every day. Take a moment. Ask God to examine your heart, and to strip away the things that keep you from trusting in the Father for everything you need, so that you might live a life of worship, resting in your Father’s arms.

Weekly Memory Verse: The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread? Psalm 27.1