Psalm 33:1-6
1Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!
Praise befits the upright.
2 Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
3 Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.
4 For the word of the Lord is upright,
and all his work is done in faithfulness.
5 He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
When was the last time you made something with your hands? Maybe it was your breakfast today, maybe you’ve been working on a home improvement project. When was the last time you made something, looked at it, and got that feeling that made you say, “Hey, that’s not half bad.”? Have you ever surprised yourself with the outcome? Put something together that you weren’t sure you could finish? That sens of accomplishment is part of what drives us forward, it’s what compels us to try the next thing, and the next thing. Finishing things is definitely good for us. Completion builds us up.
Here in Psalm 33, the psalmist reminds us that God made everything good that you and I experience by speaking it into being. He willed it, declared it, and it was so. That’s -real- creative power. It’s not a ham sandwich made from Christmas leftovers, it’s real, raw substance. Louie Giglio calls God “The Great Star-Breather” and I think that’s a wonderful description. That phrasing invokes a mental image of the power of God. As easily as you and I inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide, God spoke and stars were formed, galaxies swirled and beautiful nebulae came into existence.
There’s comfort in His power. There’s a reassurance that comes from remembering just how big our God really is. Listen again to another reminder:
Psalm 95:1-7a
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
3 For the Lord is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.
5 The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.
6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
7 For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep of his hand.
The deepest deeps we have on earth, and the highest highs are all contained within His hand. Do you ever picture God holding you like that? Not just you but your whole world? Every bit of you existence. All you joys, all your sorrows, everything that happens in you, near you, around you, and around everyone ad everything you care about…it all rests in the palm of His hand. The universe spins and sings, all right there in the palm of His hand. Everything is in His hand, and then also must rest under His watchful gaze. He is here, present. Not watching from afar, but close, holding us, concerned for us and always working for His glory.
Matthew 10:29-31
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Be comforted. He knows your name. He knows your heart, and He loves you just the same.
He knows our pains, and He discerns our needs. Be comforted, you are always in good hands if you are in God’s hands. Draw near to Him. He is near to us.
BenHedgspeth.com 