shout for joy – Praying Pint

By your blood

Psalms 103:4 who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

Psalms 34:22 The LORD redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

Psalms 56:13 For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.

Psalms 71:23 My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed.

Job 33:19-30 “Man is also rebuked with pain on his bed and with continual strife in his bones, so that his life loathes bread, and his appetite the choicest food. His flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen, and his bones that were not seen stick out. His soul draws near the pit, and his life to those who bring death. If there be for him an angel, a mediator, one of the thousand, to declare to man what is right for him, and he is merciful to him, and says, ‘Deliver him from going down into the pit; I have found a ransom; let his flesh become fresh with youth; let him return to the days of his youthful vigor’; then man prays to God, and he accepts him; he sees his face with a shout of joy, and he restores to man his righteousness. He sings before men and says: ‘I sinned and perverted what was right, and it was not repaid to me. He has redeemed my soul from going down into the pit, and my life shall look upon the light.’ “Behold, God does all these things, twice, three times, with a man, to bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be lighted with the light of life.

Revelation 5:9 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

2 Corinthians 4:16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.

To have sins forgiven is more important than physical healing. What does it profit the soul to have perfect or good health if the soul is rotting away? We tend to put blinders on when it comes to the health of our soul. It is understandable why this can happen. We can see and feel our physical state. Our physical body is designed to let us know something is not right. We feel pain. We see the effects of something not being right. Sometimes it is others who see it. When it comes to our soul, how are we to know? The word of God. In and through His word we are able to gain understanding of His holiness and our sinfulness. His word is a light into our soul. His word exposes the cancer that is eating away our soul. His word brings healing to our soul. Physical health has benefit for this life but spiritual health of our soul has benefit for eternity.

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

Waiting beside My doors

Psalms 95:4 In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.

Psalms 135:6 Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.

Psalms 65:6 the one who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with might; who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples, so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs. You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy. You visit the earth and water it; you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide their grain, for so you have prepared it. You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth. You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with abundance. The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy, the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.

Genesis 1:9-10 And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

Proverbs 8:29 when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside him, like a master workman, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the children of man. “And now, O sons, listen to me: blessed are those who keep my ways. Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it. Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD, but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death.”

Jeremiah 5:22 Do you not fear me? declares the LORD. Do you not tremble before me? I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass; though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; though they roar, they cannot pass over it.

Psalms 97:5 The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth.

Micah 1:4 And the mountains will melt under him, and the valleys will split open, like wax before the fire

Job 9:5 he who removes mountains, and they know it not, when he overturns them in his anger,

Nahum 1:5 The mountains quake before him; the hills melt; the earth heaves before him, the world and all who dwell in it.

We take a piece of wood and make something out of it – our creation. God made the micro cellular seed structure for every tree species, the means for nutrients, the means for respiration, photosynthesis ( and while we think of this He made the sun and the earth too). We look at what we or others have put together as something creative and maybe inspiring. Some architects even go down in history as leaders of their time. Books are written about them. And yet we only need to open our eyes to God’s creation to see the awe inspiring magnitude of Him. We are a creation of His. He has given us life and free will to choose to praise, honor, serve, follow and obey Him. Those who choose this path, He gives life (eternal). Those that choose to reject Him, He gives death and torment eternal. “And now, O sons, listen to me: blessed are those who keep my ways. Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it. Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD, but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death.”

Rejoice in His works

“ Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.”

“I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.”

“ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.”

Psalms 71:23 My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed. And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long, for they have been put to shame and disappointed who sought to do me hurt.

Psalms 104:31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works, who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke! I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the LORD. Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more! Bless the LORD, O my soul! Praise the LORD!

Habakkuk 3:17 Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

Psalms 32:11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Psalms 63:5 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night;

Psalms 119:15 I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.

When our eyes are focused on God and His awesome power, might, grace, mercy, and love it is what bubbles out of our heart. Rejoicing and giving Him praise comes natural then. It is when we get sideways and are drifting away from Him that this becomes hard to do. When other things fill our heart it is hard to rejoice and praise God. Keep your eyes open to Him, stay in His word, and choose to seek Him and His purpose for your day. Rejoicing and praise will begin to bubble up and out from the depth of your heart and soul.

Praise the Lord – Make a Joyful Noise

“Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!”

“ Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!”

“Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!”

“Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth!”

Psalms 66:1 Shout for joy to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise! Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you. All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name.”

Psalms 95:1-2 Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

Psalms 98:4 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!

Psalms 117:1 Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD

1 Chronicles 16:23 Sing to the LORD, all the earth! Tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!

Psalms 72:18 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things.

Psalms 96:3 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.”

Psalms 105:2-3 Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!

Isaiah 49:13 Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the LORD has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted.

Revelation 4:11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

There are many reasons to praise God if we would just stop the busyness in our lives to think about Him and what He has done, what He is doing, and what He will do – (His Creation and the wonder of how God spoke it into existence – Mankind and God’s steadfast love and care over us – His comfort, peace, joy, hope, and love guiding us through trials that come our way – Blessings of His word and the precious promises given to encourage us – Forgiveness of sin salvation through His son Jesus Christ – The gift of the Holy Spirit indwelling us – Confidence through His promise of never leaving or forsaking us – Courage through His promise of being able to do more than we ask and much more than we can imagine – Eternity with Him after our time on earth has come to an end.) Life seems to distract us from giving Him praise. Spend today thinking about all those wonders of God you can give praise to. Spend today giving thought to humbly serving, honoring, following, and obeying Him.

Awesome Power and Might

“Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.”

Psalms 65:5 By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas; the one who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with might; who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples, so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs. You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.

Psalms 45:4 In your majesty ride out victoriously for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness; let your right hand teach you awesome deeds!

Psalms 47:2 For the LORD, the Most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth. He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet.

Psalms 66:3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.

Psalms 76:3 There he broke the flashing arrows, the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. Selah Glorious are you, more majestic than the mountains full of prey. The stouthearted were stripped of their spoil; they sank into sleep; all the men of war were unable to use their hands. At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both rider and horse lay stunned. But you, you are to be feared! Who can stand before you when once your anger is roused? From the heavens you uttered judgment; the earth feared and was still, when God arose to establish judgment, to save all the humble of the earth.

Deuteronomy 4:34 Or has any god ever attempted to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, and by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and by great deeds of terror, all of which the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?

Deuteronomy 10:21 He is your praise. He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen.

Isaiah 37:36 And the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.

Revelation 15:3 And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

Isaiah 45:22 “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.

Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Psalms 22:27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you.

God’s mighty and awesome deeds from history have been shared with us in scripture. These awesome and mighty deeds include, creation, flood, protection, victory from enemies, signs and wonders, splitting of the Red Sea, water from a rock, fire from the sky, manna and quail, judgements on people, death of enemies, dead back to life, blind were given sight, deaf were able to hear, mute were able to speak, women without child were given children, virgin birth, seas calmed, feeding of 5,000, Jesus Christ birth-death-resurrection, and promises of eternity with Him for those who believe in, rely on, cling to and trust in Him. There are hundreds of more examples recorded of His might acts. Life has a way of blinding us from seeing and believing these acts of power, might, and love. Life gets in the way and we explain away His awesome power and love with words of “I sure was lucky,” “what a coincidence,” “that was weird,” “I wish somebody could explain this to me,” “I see it but don’t believe it,” somebody was watching over them,” “such is fate,” and many more. When our heart, mind and soul are more focused on this life rather than on God we see things in a different light – through a different lens. God is not in focus and many of His acts are missed and we fail to recognize them. It is impossible to honor and praise God when we neglect to commit our life to Him, spend time with His word, and give Him all our heart, mind, and soul. Do you want to see these acts of power, might and love? Change the way you do life. Focus your heart, mind, and soul on Him. Desire to humbly serve, honor, follow, and obey Him. And as the old hymn says “the things of earth with grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.

Praise Him

“But they flattered him with their mouths; they lied to him with their tongues. Their heart was not steadfast toward him; they were not faithful to his covenant.”

“Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” But to the wicked God says: “What right have you to recite my statutes or take my covenant on your lips?“

Psalms 33:1 Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright. Give thanks to 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.

Psalms 97:12 Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!

Psalms 32:11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Psalms 147:1 Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.

Psalms 135:3 Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing to his name, for it is pleasant!

Isaiah 42:10 Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise from the end of the earth

Psalms 98:1 Oh sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.

Ezekiel 33:31 And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain.

Isaiah 29:13 And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,

Deuteronomy 5:28 “And the LORD heard your words, when you spoke to me. And the LORD said to me, ‘I have heard the words of this people, which they have spoken to you. They are right in all that they have spoken. Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants forever!

Psalms 106:12 Then they believed his words; they sang his praise. But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel.

Praising God, shouting for joy, singing a new song, being glad, rejoicing, and giving thanks are all actions that come from a heart and mind serving God with reverence, awe and wonder. We choose to do these actions and at the same time they are a natural outpouring of our soul to God for the great compassion and love He has shown and will continue to show to those who seek, serve and follow Him. Do you find these actions a natural outpouring in your life? They should be. If they aren’t ask God to open your eyes to the many wonders and blessings given to us. The blessing of promises that He will guide us, lift us up, protect us, be our strength, our hope, our joy, our peace, our place of rest. The blessings of His word. The blessings of fellow believers. The blessings of the Holy Spirit. The blessings of salvation through Jesus Christ. The blessings of forgiveness. The blessings and wonders of creation. The list of blessings is endless. Praise His name, shout for joy, sing, be glad, rejoice, and give thanks.

Know Him

“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.”

Psalms 20:1 May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you! May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion! May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! May he grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans! May we shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners! May the LORD fulfill all your petitions!

Psalms 41:1 Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble the LORD delivers him;

Psalms 60:11 Oh, grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man!

Psalms 91:15 When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him

Psalms 138:7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life

Psalms 9:10 And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.

Proverbs 18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.

Isaiah 50:10 Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.

These verses “Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God”, “Because he knows my name and holds fast to me”, “The righteous man runs to the name of the Lord and is safe” make it very clear walking with God is full of help in times of trouble. Yet it makes clear the righteous man, the one who loves God and holds on to Him is the person who has this hope. How can we call on someone if we don’t know them? Knowing of and knowing is like knowing of the name of a person who has power and means to help you but you only know of their name. How do we know if they will respond or how they will respond? If we know of them and not know them personally we have no clue how they will respond to us. We may have heard from someone else how they were helped but this gives us no assurance this person would help us.

Knowing of God: Hear His name, heard some of the stories of what He has done, believe He exists, has no influence in daily life, is rarely thought of unless there is trouble in your life, serving self, culture has more influence, His word is not written on your heart and anchored in your mind, trying to perform in a way that makes you worthy of His love.

Knowing God: Know Him by name, has impact in your life, is always present in your mind, deep desire to know Him more, listening for and to that quiet small voice leading you, obeying His leading, trusting in, relying on, and clinging to Him, His word is before you constantly, you live to humbly serve, honor, glorify, and obey Him, it is by His grace and mercy through Jesus Christ alone you are made clean.

How can we “Know His word,” “Believe in His word,” “Trust in His word,” “Obey His word,” if we don’t read His word with a heart deep desire to know Him.