Get Out Your Ten-Stringed Instruments

“It is good to give thanks to the Lord

And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;

To declare Your loving-kindness in the morning

And Your faithfulness by night,

With the ten-stringed lute and with the harp,

With resounding music upon the lyre.

For You, O Lord, have made me glad by what You have done,

I will sing for joy for the works of Your hands.”

Psalms 92:1-4

Many years ago, I attended a church where the worship leader encouraged us to get out our ten-stringed instruments – our hands – and give the Lord a round of applause for all He does for us.  It sounded corny, but the act of applauding God brought a spirit of joy into the worship service.

When we thank God for whatever our circumstances are, we release His power into our lives, and He blesses us with joy.  The next time you feel like God has abandoned you, get out your ten-stringed instruments, give God a round of applause, and see what happens.

Mercy, Peace, Love

“To those who are called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ:  May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you.”  Jude 2-3

If you know someone whose life is in turmoil, these are the perfect words of comfort.  We cannot solve their problems, but we can offer the salve of mercy, peace and love. 

The True Confession

“…If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”  Romans 10:9-10

Our confession is Jesus as Lord.  We are righteous not of our own doing, but because Jesus took our sin and died once and for all.  No prayerful repetition of our unworthiness can atone any further for our sins.  All that is required of us is the true confession – Jesus is our Lord, Master and Savior.

The Almighty

“I am the Alpha and the Omega.” Says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”  Revelations 1:8

God is always with us.  We are never left alone.  He has said it, and it is true; He is the Almighty.   And, He is on our side.

Sunday Is For You

“Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.”  Mark 2:27

Many people don’t go to church because their employers require them to work on Sunday.   Are they sinners for not going to Church?  I think Jesus would say “no,” because they are striving to support themselves and their families, which is in itself another Biblical principle.

Sunday was made of us, and God trusts us to use the day wisely, which includes not neglecting things which we must do on that day. 

Turn On The Light

“For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.  But he who practices truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”  John 3:20

Nobody likes to be wrong.  Evil people know they are evil and they tend to stay away from the church and from Christians because they don’t want it pointed out to them.  They may speak ill of the church and Christians and point out every possible flaw they can think of to make the Gospel look wrong and themselves look right. 

What we need to give these poor, lost souls is a little light by showing them compassion and a little Christian love.  They may laugh us off, but nothing destroys evil like the love of Jesus, and in the long run, Jesus will win.

Turn on the light.