PSALM 95

God. Abba. Father.

We sing with great joy before you today! You are our rock. You are our salvation. Why do we sing? Because you, oh great King, are the One True God. There is none like you. You are the Creator. Every single blade of grass gets its life from you. Every drop of water in the oceans fell at your command. Every mountain goat that scampers to the highest peak does so because you gave it the ability to skip with firm footing.

Why do we sing? Why do we worship and, yes, even fall on our knees before you? Because you, oh great King, gave us breath. You formed us. You have guided us. You have been our shepherd to lead us to streams of living water for refreshment and meadows of green for rest. We are being cared for each and every day by you, the mighty and great LORD. And we are humbled by your love for us, your children.

We are encouraged today to listen to you. To bend our ears to heaven to hear your voice. We pause and silence the clutter of everything else — the dinging texts, the demanding coworker, and the bickering child. We suppress all the noise. We focus on you. We wait patiently and concentrate. Speak to us.

Let us not be like the ancestors of old who hardened their hearts to your grace and provision. No, we open our hands and our souls to all that you have for us.

We worship your holy name because of the most wonderful sounds ever heard: the rolling of a rock from the entrance of the tomb and the footsteps of your Son walking out of the grave.

And it is in His name we pray.

Amen.