"To God Be the Glory"

 

“Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the earth hear His voice!

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the people rejoice!

O come to the Father, thro’ Jesus the Son,

And give Him the glory, great things He hath done.”

A rousing and enthusiastic chorus and music to sing to our God. Praising His name. Rejoicing in who He is. He deserves all glory and singing this chorus shouts that out!

We are to rejoice when we praise the Lord. We should be filled with joy and delight, flowing from our very being, praising God with open hearts.

Acts 2:26

“Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope.”

Godsbless.ing: “The verse includes the phrase, ‘my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices.’ Here, ‘heart’ signifies the innermost being, the core of one’s emotions and will. David, and Peter by extension, expresses a profound joy that stems from a deep, spiritual assurance. This isn’t mere happiness but a profound gladness rooted in the knowledge of God’s promises. The “tongue rejoices” indicates that this joy is so overwhelming it must be expressed verbally, symbolizing the outward manifestation of inner peace and contentment.”

I think we rejoice best when we are singing and proclaiming our heartfelt joy of the Lord. We can certainly praise His name and rejoice in Him through daily conversation and in devotion times, but there is just something about singing His praises that seems to express so much more. Whether with a group or by yourself, singing His praises fills you with delight.

Psalm 103:1

“Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.”

Enduringword.com: “David called upon his soul to bless Yahweh. It was as if David looked at his soul and understood that it was not praising God enough. He called upon his soul to do more . . . David understood that true worship was something deeply inward, of the soul. It is not just about outward forms or expressions, but also about something real from the soul.”

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the people rejoice! May your voice be lifted in praise and your spirit filled with rejoicing for our Lord!

"To give glory to God should be the greatest desire of every Christian. Not only should this be the supreme goal for our individual lives, but it should also be true whenever we gather in our local churches." Kenneth W. Osbeck, Amazing Grace

 By His Grace . . . 

10,000 Reasons

 

Chorus

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul, Worship His holy name.

Sing like never before, O my soul, I'll worship Your holy name.”

This praise and worship song is based upon Psalm 103:1-5. It explores how we can never run out of reasons to worship and praise God. The first five verses say:

 “Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all His benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

G. Campbell Morgan: “It is perhaps the most perfect song of pure praise [Psalm 103] to be found in the Bible . . . Through centuries it has been sung by glad hearts and today is as fresh and full of beauty as ever.”

The writers of 10,000 Reasons, Matt Redman and Jonas Myrin, made a list of their own reasons to worship and praise God, noting they were barely scratching the surface of God’s worth. Redman said: “If you wake up one morning and you cannot think of a reason to bring God some kind of offering of thanks or praise, then you can be sure there's something wrong at your end of the pipeline, and not His. We live beneath an unceasing flow of goodness, kindness, greatness, and holiness, and every day we're given reason after reason why Jesus is so completely and utterly worthy of our highest and best devotion."

He says it well. The second verse of this praise song says:

"You're rich in love and You're slow to anger,

Your name is great and Your heart is kind.

For all Your goodness, I will keep on singing.

Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find.”

BlueletterBible.org: “David called upon his soul to bless Yahweh. It was as if David looked at his soul and understood that it was not praising God enough. He called upon his soul to do more . . . David understood that true worship was something deeply inward of the soul. It is not just about outward forms or expressions, but also about something real from the soul."

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul, Worship His holy name." I encourage you to rise each day and bless the Lord, remembering all the goodness that comes from Him. There are 10,000 reasons and more!

By His Grace . . .

Take Time to Be Holy

 “Be calm in Thy soul; Each tho’t and each motive Beneath His control”

Time. It’s something we all treasure. Time to do what we want. Time to spend with loved ones. Time to enjoy our life.

Our time, though, is really in God’s Hands. He’s the one who controls how much time we have here on earth. He provides enough time to do all we need to do. Not necessarily want to do. But what we need to do.

He’s given us gifts to use for Him. He’s given us minds to understand. He’s given us guidance and direction to accomplish all He wants us to do in our life.

We are, indeed, beneath His control, and every thought and motive we have should be guided by our faith in His ability to direct us in the ways we should go. What we should do.

When we are considering something, one of our thoughts should be what does God thinks of it and what does He want us to do about it. He is our second nature. All our thoughts should fall under His domain. His guidance should be ingrained upon us, firmly fixed so that we always desire it.

You will be calm in your soul if all your thoughts and motives are under the Mighty Hand of God.

Philippians 3:20-21: “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.”

Godsbless.ing: "The phrase 'who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control,' underscores Jesus’ supreme authority over all creation. This power reveals His sovereignty in creating and sustaining the universe, emphasizing His preeminence in all things."

“Each tho’t and each motive Beneath His control” is knowing your life is under the control of the One who knows everything.

By His Grace . . . 

"Another Year is Dawning"

 

Verse Three

“Another year of service, of witness for Thy love;

Another year of training for holier work above.

Another year of dawning, Dear Father, let it be,

On earth, or else in heaven, another year for Thee.”

 It really doesn’t matter whether we’re here on earth with God or in heaven with God. We just want to be with God. In this new year and the rest of the time we are here on earth. And in heaven where we’ll be for eternity. We want to be with God.

“He doesn’t just give us life; He is our life.” Chris Tiegreen, "Walk With God"

For a Christian there isn’t life without Him. We may go through our days and do what is before us, but if God isn’t with us there is an empty vacuum that hasn’t been filled. We can feel it. We know it’s there. It’s only filled by God.

A child of God cannot imagine a life without Him. We serve Him. We are witnesses of His love. He is everything to us.

Acts 5:20

“Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.”

Studylight.org, Coffman’s Commentaries: “The ‘life in Christ’ which the apostles preach is that eternal life which consists in knowing God (John 17:1), and in which the angels are sharers."

Godsbless.ing: “This verse from the Bible, Acts 5:20, is powerful and calls for action. Here, an angel instructs the apostles to boldly go to the temple courts and share the message of the new life found in Jesus Christ. It highlights the importance of spreading the word of God and the transformative power of embracing a life centered around faith and belief in Jesus.”

Romans 6:4

“We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”

Enduringword.com: “Paul’s point is clear: something dramatic and life changing happened in the life of the believer. You can’t die and rise again without it changing your life. The believer has a real (although spiritual) death and resurrection with Jesus Christ.”

Scripturesavvy.com: “We celebrate the fact that, just as Christ rose from the dead, we too are brought to life spiritually. The same divine power that raised Christ from the grave now empowers us to live victoriously over sin. Thus, we are invited not just into a belief system but into a transformative relationship with God through Jesus Christ.”

“On earth, or else in heaven, another year for Thee.” He is our life! Live it! Hallelujah!

By His Grace . . . 

"Angels We Have Heard on High"

 

We all love singing the stirring Christmas hymn, “Angels, We have Heard on High.” The words are good; the melody is good, and the refrain is thrilling.

Chorus:
“Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.”

Now, just what does “Gloria in Excelsis Deo” mean? We sing it loudly and joyfully every Christmas, but do we know what we are singing? You’ve heard the words many times before.

“Glory to God in the Highest”

“In essence, the "Gloria in Excelsis Deo" is a remarkably concise yet powerful summary of core Christian beliefs. It encapsulates praise, adoration, and supplication directed towards the Holy Trinity . . . The hymn's enduring power lies in its ability to connect the worshipper to the divine, fostering a sense of awe, gratitude, and profound connection with the source of all being. It's a timeless invitation to join in the celestial chorus, singing Words to Glory to God in the highest.” Linguisimo.com

This is a hymn of praise and adoration, expressing profound reverence and gratitude to the Holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit.

“French legend indicates that in medieval times on Christmas Eve, the shepherds would sing and call to one another from one hillside to another.  ‘They would call “’Gloria in excelsis Deo’ which means ‘glory to God in the highest’ in Latin. It was how they would spread their holiday message and cheer from points far away to one another. From hillside to valley, the shepherd’s song must have truly sounded like angels calling to one another in celebration of the birth of Christ for the Christians living in nearby regions. Also, the song reflects the shepherd’s joy that the time of the holiday season has arrived yet again.” Dianaleaghmatthews.com

The next time you sing this popular Christmas hymn, remember you’re actually singing: “Glory to God in the Highest.” Here are the great verses!

“Angels we have heard on high, Sweetly singing o'er the plains,
And the mountains in reply Echoing their joyous strains.

“Shepherds, why this jubilee? Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be Which inspire your heavn'ly song?

“Come to Bethlehem and see Him whose birth the angels sing.
Come, adore on bended knee Christ the Lord, the newborn King.

“See Him in a manger laid, Whom the choirs of angels praise.
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid While our hearts in love we raise.”

"Glory to God in the Highest!"

By His Grace . . . 

Angels From the Realms of Glory

 

“Saints, before the altar bending, Watching long in hope and fear;

Suddenly the Lord, descending, In His temple shall appear.”

That description is familiar. We, the saints of God, bow before Him, anxiously waiting for our Savior to return. We watch the news for world developments and listen to prophecy hoping the signs of our Savior will be soon.

Our hope is sure. We know it is going to happen. We just wish it was now. At least older saints that I’m around wishes it was now. We’ve lived our most productive years and look forward to when Jesus comes again. Younger saints know the story and believe it is true. Yet, their life is before them, and they may not be as anxious as older saints.

James Montgomery wrote this hymn. He lost his parents as a young boy. They were missionaries to the island of Barbados. He never saw them again when they sailed away.

Yet, James was devoted to Christ and God’s Word, and he championed the cause of foreign missions and the British Bible Society. He found his niche in writing. When he was forty-five years old, he opened his Bible to Luke 2 and impressed by verse 13, “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,” he wrote this hymn. 

Psalm 148:2

“Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His heavenly hosts!”

Enduringword.com: “The psalmist called upon all angelic beings to give God praise. This is the constant occupation of the living creatures surrounding God’s throne (Revelation 4:8). The company of faithful angels is like a great army (all His hosts).”

This Christmas hymn is a favorite. The chorus invites us to worship: “Come and worship, come and worship; Worship Christ, the newborn King!”

One day we will be in the company of the heavenly host and will praise God with them. Until then, let’s not give up on our hope; let’s not get tired of waiting. Let’s rejoice and be thankful, singing: “Come and worship!”

By His Grace . . . 

"I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day"

 

“Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: ‘God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;

The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, With peace on earth, good will to men.’”

Henry W. Longfellow, author of this hymn, was an American poet whose name is well known. His first wife, Mary Potter, died in 1835 after a miscarriage. His second wife, Frances Appleton, died in 1861 after sustaining burns when her dress caught fire. After her death, Longfellow had difficulty writing poetry for a time and focused on translating works from foreign languages.

On Friday, December 25, 1863, Longfellow—as a 57-year-old widowed father of six children, the oldest of which had been nearly paralyzed as his country fought a war against itself, wrote a poem seeking to capture the dissonance in his own heart and the world he observes around him that Christmas Day.

He heard the Christmas bells ringing in Cambridge and the singing of “peace on earth, good-will to men” and was deeply inspired by the Christmas season. Despite his personal tragedies, Longfellow remained resilient and found solace in his faith. In “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” Longfellow expresses his desire for peace and reconciliation and his belief that one day, all will be made right in the world.

Our God is very much alive and in control. He never sleeps. He is all that is right and true. He wins.

Sometimes it’s hard to be happy at Christmas. People are always going through the problems and ugliness of life here on earth. People say, “I just want to get through it.” I’ve been there. I think most people have.

As Longfellow found out, the bells still ring and God is still in control. Grab your bells! Find a church that rings bells! Go online and hear the bells ring! “Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: ‘God is not dead, nor doth He sleep!’” Amen! Hallelujah! Our God reigns!

By His Grace . . .