God Above Us (Day #4 of “Five Psalms”)

26 Aug God Above Us (Day #4 of “Five Psalms”)

Read  Psalm 96
Thought for the Day: Today, I choose to worship God.

The Book of Psalms has traditionally been divided into five smaller “books”. The fourth (from Chapters 90 – 106) shows us that God is the only One we are asked to worship. His ways are higher than ours and He is the God Above Us! Consider Psalm 96: “Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless His name; tell of His salvation from day to day.”

Have you ever sung a hymn or praise song and wondered, “what’s the point?” In the mid-19th Century, a little boy named Elisha Hoffman loved music but his family couldn’t afford formal lessons. However, they gathered every day in their house to worship God as a family. They sang hymns, read scripture, and prayed together.

Over time, young Elisha learned to love God and to love singing. Worship time with his family became so important that he later wrote that singing hymns became “as natural a function of the soul as breathing was a function of the body”. His life was far from perfect – tragedy struck and he became a widower and single parent in his mid-30s. However, Elisha continued to follow God through all circumstances. He devoted his life to Jesus, became a pastor, and wrote over 2000 hymns. His most famous hymn was the beloved classic, “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms”.

As we go through the ups and downs of life, let’s learn the lesson of Elisha Hoffman. Amazing things happen when we consistently worship God with our families. We may not have a perfect solution for every problem, but we can remember that our choice to consistently worship God will change our lives and leave a positive impact on those around us!

In Christ,
Pastors Stan and David