Come, let’s sing out loud to the Lord!
Let’s raise a joyful shout to the rock of our salvation!
2 Let’s come before him with thanks!
Let’s shout songs of joy to him!
3 The Lord is a great God,
the great king over all other gods.
4 The earth’s depths are in his hands;
the mountain heights belong to him;
5 the sea, which he made, is his
along with the dry ground,
which his own hands formed.
6 Come, let’s worship and bow down!
Let’s kneel before the Lord, our maker!
7 He is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture,
the sheep in his hands.
If only you would listen to his voice right now!
Reflection
When my older sister was born, both of my parents were working full time – my father as a pastor and my mother in retail – so my father, because of the nature of his vocation, was fortunate enough to spend a lot of time watching my sister. He would prop her up in her baby seat next to his desk as he had books strewn everywhere, prayerfully navigating the inspired art of sermon writing. My sister (and I, for the record) were both very calm babies, and so she would sit there quietly, for the most part, as my father talked through his sermons with her. As he would bounce ideas off of her, she would coo and make other baby noises in response to his illustrations and theological analysis.
It wasn’t until Sunday morning came along, my father at the pulpit and my mother in a pew with my sister in her arms, that he’d realize the result of his weekly sermon writing routine. As he began to preach, there my sister went, responding with her coos and baby noises – just like Monday through Saturday. Distracting? Maybe. But perhaps some of the most joyful noise in existence!
There are so many things in life that can make us feel the joy that the Psalmist is feeling in today’s text: a beautiful song, a child’s laughter, a meaningful prayer. Sometimes, the weight and business of our days can distract us from this, but if we listen, we can hear a joyful noise!
by Rachel Callender
For Pondering & Prayer
What are noises that you find joyful? Seek one new joyful noise today!
Prayer: Noisy God, we listen for Your voice today – make noise, be loud, bring us joy today! Amen.
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