August 9, 2019 
The word Sabbath means to cease.  So as Dr. Brooks is away on sabbatical, we will be using his original devotionals from 2009 on the book of Psalms.  He will resume The Bible Project devotionals upon his return.  Thank you for reading with us and praying for him as he replenishes his soul for the next seven years of ministry.
Psalm 66
1 Shout for joy to God, all the earth!
2 Sing the glory of his name;
    make his praise glorious.
3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
    So great is your power
    that your enemies cringe before you.
4 All the earth bows down to you;
    they sing praise to you,
    they sing the praises of your name.”
5 Come and see what God has done,
    his awesome deeds for mankind!
6 He turned the sea into dry land,
    they passed through the waters on foot—
    come, let us rejoice in him.
7 He rules forever by his power,
    his eyes watch the nations—
    let not the rebellious rise up against him.
8 Praise our God, all peoples,
    let the sound of his praise be heard;
9 he has preserved our lives
    and kept our feet from slipping.
10 For you, God, tested us;
    you refined us like silver.
11 You brought us into prison
    and laid burdens on our backs.
12 You let people ride over our heads;
    we went through fire and water,
    but you brought us to a place of abundance.
13 I will come to your temple with burnt offerings
    and fulfill my vows to you—
14 vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke
    when I was in trouble.
15 I will sacrifice fat animals to you
    and an offering of rams;
    I will offer bulls and goats.
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God;
    let me tell you what he has done for me.
17 I cried out to him with my mouth;
    his praise was on my tongue.
18 If I had cherished sin in my heart,
    the Lord would not have listened;
19 but God has surely listened
    and has heard my prayer.
20 Praise be to God,
    who has not rejected my prayer
    or withheld his love from me!

New International Version (NIV)
The Psalms are the hymnbook and worship manual of the Israelites.  Human beings were created to worship.  The need to offer our devotion is hard-wired into our brains and our spiritual DNA.  How should we worship him?  The psalmist invites us to shout and sing  and speak to God, saying, “How awesome are your deeds, and great is your power.”  Worship must be authentic to the unique ways that God has wired us.  Three friends can hear the same song and respond in different ways.  One weeps because it captures his emotions.  Another smiles because God fills him with joy.  Still another sits silently and meditates on the truth.  Which one is right?  All of them.  Some sing.  Some speak.  Some shout.  Remember David danced before the Lord with all his might.  Do not anticipate me following that example this weekend in worship.  It could happen, but it really seems unlikely just now.  Worship does not proscribe dancing but neither does it prescribe it on every occasion.  We may not dance, but will we worship with all of our might.  Do we sing lackadaisically or like we mean it?  When others pray are we praying with them?  When instrumentalists play are we giving thanks to God for the way he uses their gifts? 

The psalmist invites us to consider two great reasons to worship God.  First in 66:5, he says, “Come and see.”  Worship is multisensory.  We come to worship to see what God has done.  The psalmist remembers the people crossing the Red Sea and the Jordan on dry ground.    Our God is the one who preserves life, refines us like silver, brings us out of bondage and lifts our burdens.    So we offer him the sacrifice of thanksgiving!

We discover the second reason to worship in 66:16:  “Come and listen.”  In worship, we not only express our devotion to God in music and prayer, but we also testify.  In our time, people have confused worship with a particular favored element.  True praise and worship calls forth our songs and more.  No single genre or type of music in worship captures all of the meaning of the word worship.  To worship is to give God his worth.  So we not only come to see but we come to listen.  What will we hear?  “Let me tell you what he has done for me!”  The psalmist remembers and retells the great news of God’s great grace.  Without cherishing sin, the psalmist has cried out to God and God has listened.”  God has not rejected our prayers or withheld his love from us.  Come and see that our God sees us.  Come and listen because our God listens to us.  Worship with intentionality.  Worship with all your might.  Watch and listen! 
This year our Every Day with Jesus readings will follow The Bible Project Read Scripture Plan.  Copies of this reading plan are available at Tallowood Baptist Church, or download 
the app at readscripture.org.  Read through the Bible with us in 2019!
Joyfully, 
Duane 

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