Heather Runser ’14, Director of Christian Education and Youth,Grace United Methodist Church, Coshocton, Ohio

Scripture

Psalm 147:1-11

1 Praise the Lord!
 How good it is to sing praises to our God;
 for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.
2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
 he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted,
 and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number of the stars;
 he gives to all of them their names.
5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
 his understanding is beyond measure.
6 The Lord lifts up the downtrodden;
 he casts the wicked to the ground.

7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
 make melody to our God on the lyre.
8 He covers the heavens with clouds,
 prepares rain for the earth,
 makes grass grow on the hills.
9 He gives to the animals their food,
 and to the young ravens when they cry.
10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
 nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner;
11 but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
 in those who hope in his steadfast love.

Devotional

Praise the Lord.

But how can I praise the Lord when I'm surrounded by darkness? How can I praise the Lord when there is violence and war and all sorts of injustice? How can I praise the Lord in the midst of the storm that I find myself in?

Praise the Lord.

Not a suggestion, but a command. It is so easy to lament, and even easier to complain, because life is hard and cruel sometimes. No one understands this better than the Lord himself, who bore the darkness of sin and cried out in agony.

Praise the Lord.

How can we not praise Him for all He has done, and for all He has given? As we journey closer to the cross, let us not forget that after the darkness comes the brightest dawn of an empty tomb. No matter how dark this life can be, we can trust that the victory over the darkness is won.

Praise the Lord!

Prayer

Lord over darkness and Lord of light, it is easy to look around us and wonder at the state of the world. It is so easy to worry about the future and our place in it. Thank you that the simplest thing we can do is put our trust in you, the One who holds our past, our present, and all the years to come. Amen.

Heather Runser ’14, Director of Christian Education and Youth,Grace United Methodist Church, Coshocton, Ohio

Scripture

Psalm 147:1-11

1 Praise the Lord!
 How good it is to sing praises to our God;
 for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.
2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
 he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted,
 and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number of the stars;
 he gives to all of them their names.
5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
 his understanding is beyond measure.
6 The Lord lifts up the downtrodden;
 he casts the wicked to the ground.

7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
 make melody to our God on the lyre.
8 He covers the heavens with clouds,
 prepares rain for the earth,
 makes grass grow on the hills.
9 He gives to the animals their food,
 and to the young ravens when they cry.
10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
 nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner;
11 but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
 in those who hope in his steadfast love.

Devotional

Praise the Lord.

But how can I praise the Lord when I'm surrounded by darkness? How can I praise the Lord when there is violence and war and all sorts of injustice? How can I praise the Lord in the midst of the storm that I find myself in?

Praise the Lord.

Not a suggestion, but a command. It is so easy to lament, and even easier to complain, because life is hard and cruel sometimes. No one understands this better than the Lord himself, who bore the darkness of sin and cried out in agony.

Praise the Lord.

How can we not praise Him for all He has done, and for all He has given? As we journey closer to the cross, let us not forget that after the darkness comes the brightest dawn of an empty tomb. No matter how dark this life can be, we can trust that the victory over the darkness is won.

Praise the Lord!

Prayer

Lord over darkness and Lord of light, it is easy to look around us and wonder at the state of the world. It is so easy to worry about the future and our place in it. Thank you that the simplest thing we can do is put our trust in you, the One who holds our past, our present, and all the years to come. Amen.