Category Archives: Worship

My children and I are currently working on memorizing Psalm 139. Many of us know the part about God forming us, knowing us before we were born. It is a great Scripture for Life. It is also a great teacher of the principle of Design,  giving us great comfort in knowing God has Designed each of us just as we are. We are “fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are [His] works.” But this Psalm also teaches us much about God Himself. It begins by declaring God’s Omniscience, especially about me, and His Omnipresence, especially in relation to me. It begins by declaring God has searched and known me. It ends asking God to search me and know my heart, try me and know my thoughts. Why? To see if there is any wicked thing in me, to lead me in the way everlasting. A declaration again of God’s Omniscience, and also the fact that even we don’t even know our own hearts. Only God knows us, both outside and in.

O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me . Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but , lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there . If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. …Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139:1-10, 23-24

One of my favorite Psalms of reassurance that God, and not the wicked, is in control is Psalm 2. Here is it in versification from The Psalms of David in Metre.

Why rage the heathen? and vain things
Why do the people mind?
Kings of the earth do set themselves
And princes are combined

To plot against the Lord and His
Anointed, saying thus,
Let us asunder break their bands,
And cast their cords from us.

He that in heaven sits, shall laugh;
The Lord shall scorn them all.
Then shall He speak to them in wrath,
In rage He vex them shall.

Yet, not withstanding, I have Him
To be my King appointed;
And o’er Zion, my Holy hill,
I have Him King anointed.

I sure decree I will declare
The Lord hath said to me,
Thou art mine only Son: this day
I have begotten thee.

Ask of for me a heritage
The heathen I’ll make thine;
And, for possession, I to thee
Will give earth’s utmost line.

Thou shalt, as with a weighty rod
Of iron, break them all;
And as  potter’s sherd, Thou shalt
Them dash in pieces small.

Now, therefore, kings, be wise; be taught,
Ye judges of the earth:
Serve God in fear, and see that ye
Join trembling with your mirth.

Kiss ye the Son, lest in His ire
Ye perish from the way,
If once his wrath begin to burn:
Bless’d all that on Him stay.

I’m away for the weekend, but this week an old favorite has been resonating in my soul. Lord With Glowing Heart I’d Praise Thee, by Francis Scott Key. Read my post about it, and the lyrics here.

A friend sent me this, saying they were learning it in their church. This song is beautiful.

SDG,
Lisa

Before my children and I began singing hymns, I had never considered singing the psalms. (Obviously we don’t come from a background that teaches psalmody nor hymnody.) The only Psalm I’d heard sung was the 23rd – and snippets of others included in modern choruses.

Although I’d bought an old Psalter, mainly for educational purposes as we studied the Pilgrims and Puritans, we hadn’t seriously began learning them. When we went to a family camp 3 years ago we were introduced to congregational singing of the Psalms  – and their beauty. How anyone can say that psalm and hymn singing is dead and dreary is beyond me. (Well, obviously they’ve only encountered it in a “church” that is dead and dreary. The people are dead, not the hymns!)

The saints of God, with their voices raised in harmonious praise, singing the rich Psalms and Hymns, excellent music with depth, put the simple ditties we “grew up” on to shame. It isn’t just emotional-feelings stirring music, it is rich, deep complete soul enlivening and arresting music. It isn’t music you mindlessly sing, but music that engages both the mind and the heart, enabling you to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.

I find it quite telling that in contemporary worship, people are always seeking a newer song list. The songs that were sung 2 or 3 years ago are “old” and everyone is tired of them. It seems it is always time to move on, because, although the songs were fun while they lasted, there was nothing substantial to keep them surviving long term. They were nothing but a fad. They stirred emotions once, but no longer are having the same effect. They’ve become ho-hum. (I can say that having been in worship ministry for over 20 years.)

Yet, other songs have survived hundreds of years, and still touch the hearts, souls, lives of people in deep ways. These songs have survived, not 2 years, not 10, not 20, but many, many generations, 100’s of years and still have a message that honors God and reaches hearts in lasting ways. (Not all hymns of course. There’s been a good share of shallow, non-lasting “fluff” there too. They aren’t still around, just like much of today’s music won’t still be around in a hundred years.)

The Psalm I’d like to share with you today is one we first heard at that family camp. The whole family loved it. We came home and tried to find it. It took nearly 3 years, but a couple months ago I finally found the tune online.

This is the version of words we sang at camp (I believe), (they were altered a bit for the tune.)

1 O sing a new song to the Lord,
for wonders he hath done:
His right hand and his holy arm
him victory hath won.

2 The Lord God his salvation
hath caused to be known;
His justice in the heathen’s sight
he openly hath shown.

3 He mindful of his grace and truth
to Isr’el’s house hath been;
And the salvation of our God
all ends of th’ earth have seen.

4 Let all the earth unto the Lord
send forth a joyful noise;
Lift up your voice aloud to him,
sing praises, and rejoice.

5 With harp, with harp, and voice of psalms,
unto Jehovah sing:
6 With trumpets, cornets, gladly sound
before the Lord the King.

7 Let seas and all their fullness roar;
the world, and dwellers there;
8 Let floods clap hands, and let the hills
together joy declare

9 Before the Lord; because he comes,
to judge the earth comes he:
He’ll judge the world with righteousness,
his folk with equity.

SDG,
Lisa