Today is the 17th day of Lent.

May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.

Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Today’s reading is from Psalm 95

"1Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.
3 For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. 4 In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. 5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.
6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; 7 for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care."

This psalm describes the bigness of God but also the tenderness of God. He holds the depth of the earth in his hand. Imagine that—the earth in his hand. And the seas are like droplets of water in his hand. He fashioned the mountains like an artist fashions clay. As you think about the vastness of creation, of the cosmos, and how God created everything, how does that make you feel?

If you feel insignificant, you shouldn’t. Because the psalmist says that God isn’t just big, but he is tender. He isn’t just the Maker; he is our Maker. He isn’t just any God; he is our God. And he isn’t just a king, but he is a shepherd. You are like a sheep under his care. As you hear the passage again, can you feel both the bigness and the tenderness of God?

"1 Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.
3 For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. 4 In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. 5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.
6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; 7 for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care."

The psalmist says, “Come, sing for joy” “Shout aloud”. As we close our time today, respond to the psalm by singing for joy, even shouting aloud to the Lord, for his greatness in your life.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your holy Spirit from me. Give me the joy of your saving help again and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Music Credit:
Thanks and Praise - Vineyard Worship (YouTube)