SINGERS AND THEIR SONGS
Today’s Reading: Nehemiah 12
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
The Church of All Nations, also known as the Church or Basilica of the Agony, is a Roman Catholic church located on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, next to the Garden of Gethsemane. Here worshippers gather to encounter God.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verse: Nehemiah 12:46
For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were chiefs of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.
Name after name after name! It’s for sure that God treats each individual as a VIP (very important person). Let us always do the same and rejoice that each of us are the object of God’s attention. This knowledge of God’s care will put a song in our hearts and in our mouths. This was the case in Jerusalem as we saw in today’s reading. Seven times the words “songs” or “singers” are mentioned. King David and Asaph, the Minister of Music, had left at least 150 songs (Psalms) for the worshippers of God.
As was suggested in yesterday’s blog, we may want to continue to compile a list of all the good things God has done for us. Then review the list each day. Try composing a song about God’s blessings! Our songs may be sung by others if we publish them, but chances are that it’s just between God and us. God is the most important audience we will ever sing to.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, I desire that Your praise will continually be in my mouth. As Paul wrote to Timothy, “Having food and raiment, with these things we are content.” He also wrote, “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” I have so very much for which to praise You Lord, that I’ll keep doing this into eternity. You are worthy, O Lord, of all my worship! Amen!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
As a pastor of four different congregations during the first few years of my public ministry, I encountered various modes of worship. Believe it or not, I tended to be quite conservative in my tastes in music. Give me a magnificent sounding organ and I was content in worship. A lovely lady in my last congregation insisted on bringing her tambourine. She was the art teacher at the high school attended by my daughter Elaine. I must admit that I prayed for grace each time I saw her in the congregation. God gave me grace and then would you believe guitars and drums began to make an appearance. I’ve opened my heart and mind to various forms of expression in worship.
I began a Sunday School when I was a public school teacher. One Lord’s Day an elderly man arrived. Under his arm he had a violin case. I thought that we were about to be treated to a violin solo, but such was not the case. He carefully took out his instrument and proceeded to sing into the openings in the body of the violin. I must confess I laughed to myself. He must have liked the sound of his voice coming back to him. He sang to the Lord songs of his own composition. I found out that he worked at Atomic Energy of Canada, not as one of the scientists, but as a dish washer in the cafeteria. I came to the conclusion that, crazy or not, his worship was pleasing to God. He came every Sunday. I can see him and hear him in my memory. I think he’s in Heaven now; I wonder if he has his violin. I hope I have the opportunity to meet him again. God put a love for him in my heart.
Yours for singing to the Lord “a new song” (Psalm 96),
David
P.S. While here on Manitoulin Island, Norma-Jean and I visited some beautiful spots. One was the Bridal Veil Falls in Kagawong (picture below). Also I participated in a service at he gravesite of Dorothy Crozier. Dorothy and her family lived just down the street from us in Sudbury back in the 1960s. Her daughter, Marilyn, was a babysitter for our children. We sang, “What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see. When I look upon His face, the One who saved me by His grace. When He takes me by the hand and leads me through the Promised Land, what a day, glorious day that will be.” In the second picture below, I am with Dorothy’s daughters, Carol Ann, Marilyn, Donna.
Bridal Veil Falls in Kagawong on Manitoulin Island.
Lovely message this morning, David–thank you! And the photos are wonderful, too. Praise God through whom all blessings flow, amen! Wishing all saints a precious day!
Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBz7vuJ2b1A
A Song of Praise to God Coming in Judgment
Oh, sing to the LORD a new song!
Sing to the LORD, all the earth.
Sing to the LORD, bless His name;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples.
For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised;
He is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the LORD made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
Give to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
Give to the LORD glory and strength.
Give to the LORD the glory due His name;
Bring an offering, and come into His courts.
Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness!
Tremble before Him, all the earth.
Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns;
The world also is firmly established,
It shall not be moved;
He shall judge the peoples righteously.”
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
Let the sea roar, and all its fullness;
Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it.
Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the LORD.
For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth.
He shall judge the world with righteousness,
And the peoples with His truth.
Psalm 96 (NKJV)
Amen Beverlee blessings to all.
Love your stories Rev. M. Some of them make me laugh out loud:-)
Will be flying to Italy soon and not looking forward to the flight. Saw a lovely lady on your programming, Linda Bolton I believe, and she was sponsoring a product called Calm. Believe I’ll take a trunk load of that stuff with me. Part of the proceeds of the sell of that product go to helping children, if I remember correctly. It does help, as I use it periodically. Just wish I didn’t need anything other than the comfort of our heavenly Father, but too many happenings hit the media.
Very comforting to know each and every one of us is so important to God.
Have a blessed day fellow VIP’s.
Lord bless Lynda with CALM as she flies to Italy! Bless her trip and grant her peace in her heart, bless those who fly the planes, who assist passengers on the planes and all who work at ariports. Grant Lynda a GREAT TIME IN THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY! amen amen amen
U are an angel. Thank u Sah. God bless u.
your message is beautiful I agree thank you David
God bless you and your family
I love your photo’s Renold
Give Honour to God’s Name
Give Honour to God’s Name and Word,
With fear and reverence seek the Lord,
He came to earth for us to die,
The King of Kings, our Lord Most High.
Our God is Holy, Just and True,
But still He came to rescue you!
Give Praise and thanks to Him above
For all the blessings of His love.
The Great I AM upon His throne,
Bow down and worship Him alone,
Tell all the world His glorious worth,
For He is Lord of Heaven and Earth.
Can be sung to the tune of “The King of Love My Shepherd is”
I wrote this a few years ago.
Hope you are blessed, today, by our God, who gave Himself for us all.
Very nice! Thank you.
Precious poem, Mary!!!
Wonderful blog today including photos. Thanks David. A belated thanks also to Sah, Catherine and Rosemarie for your prayers for my tests. Lord meet the needs of Sah pastor’s wife, and the husband with his problem and bring deliverance as well as Catherine’s eyes and surgery in Jesus Name. Visited Billy in the hospital yesterday and he said,” I prayed before I had my heart test and I didn’t have any blockage just valve problem.” I pray the Lord pulls him through and he is a testimony to the rest of the family. He is 63. I thank God for this blog and the opportunity to share. God bless you David, NormaJean and family. I love hearing also about your travels.
Thank you David for sharing that beautiful song you sang at the gravesite! I’moff to my retreat now(going camping this weekend). I’ll have nothing but TIME to be still and soak in His Presence and compile lists. Beautiful Blessings to all for a wonderful weekend! SING PRAISE!!
WOW! WHAT a beautiful church!! One day I will visit there! That really was a funny story about the man who sang into his violin cavity! God Bless him!!
Agreed, funny! Also, to feel some affinity with him to this day. Kind hearted, regardless of his humble work status in life. Thanks for sharing, David.
Dear David. How do you still have hair at 78 going on 79? You TRIULY ARE Blessed! I pray for rejuvenation all the time! Nobody knows how old I am.
Thank you Rev. David for that prayer…I too “desire that His praise will continually be in my mouth”….”What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see, when He takes me by the hand and leads me to the promised land”…singing it now and rejoicing!
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I had a good laugh as I envisioned the man singing into his violin!!!..how did you contain yourself from bursting out with laughter?
Yes, names, names, names…but so important and special to Our Lord…not one is left out. Thank you Jesus that You know my name and it is special to you….but the Greatest Name of all is JESUS!!!
What a feeling of peace I sense as I view the picture of the Bridal Falls, thank you.
in church we have horns, guitars, piano, organ, tamborines, bells, chimes, banjo, fiddles, accordians, drums, flute, and many more other instruments that I can not remember
and now, since last November, my sleep pattern has changed so I am unable to attend morning church services so I am advocating for evening servies because there is at least a few thousand people who suffer from Seasonal Affected Disorder and many are Christians. I am finding out that many are not comfortable speaking about this disorder because they get bullied, teased and I know, I have heard some harsh comments but it is an honest disorder, the body just flipped on me,. and I am nocturnal somewhat…so,, I am raring to go anytime after 3:30 p.m.
I am praying and asking God to bring about a plan for evening services, at least once a week, so we will see what will happen.
please pray for a young person, he is 15 with a mental illness, living in foster care,
please pray that Lord will give him a foul taste in his mouth whenever he lights a smoke, pray that the Holy Spirit will deliver him from smoking completely and introduce some form of exercise
he is a very nice young man with a wonderful future in front of him and please pray God will speak clearly and precisely to him.
Thanking God for your fine example and legacy..David I so enjoy your daily comments…thank you for your faithfulness in pointing us to Jesus!
I am a daily reader of your blog and am continually fascinated with the way you handle the precious Word. I just want to thank you for posting the picture of Bridle Veil Falls which brings tears to my eyes as my dear Mom came from Manitoulin Island and told us stories when we were children of her visits to the falls and many other places. She has gone to be with the Lord now but we had the priviledge of visiting Spring Bay Camp with them many years back. Her name was Earla Dorothy and you have a tribute to a person named Dorothy in this particular blog. May the Lord bless and strengthen both you and Norma- Jean as you continue to shine a bright light for the Lord Jesus in our nation. Blessings