When My Praise is Great but My Words are Few by Maegan Krisa
Oh hey, short on time? No worries! I'd love to join you on your commute or daily walk/run, or shoot, even while you take care of that to-do list. We can't let these things get in the way of this friendship. It's just starting to get good! Click below to listen to the blogcast.
Small but mighty.
That is Psalm 117.
As my friend, Maegan Krisa, points out - like a recipe for a favorite sandwich, this is a recipe for praising the Lord. This psalm serves as a reminder our praise can come in all different sizes - the double-decker club stacked so high we need a toothpick to hold it all together, or like Psalm 117, a simple 2-verse sandwich. God’s concern is not the length of our praise but our heart in it. Even in just two verses, we see the psalmist’s heart is fully engaged. Through this, we are reminded to engage our hearts through the highs, lows and plateaus of life.
Maegan is a dear friend of mine, one who I have had the pleasure of co-leading a small group with, who has continually blown me away with her heart for and knowledge of the Word of God and her desire to live a life worthy of her calling in Christ. So it's a real joy to have her joining us today, though I must admit I'm not used to her new last name.
Many of you may be familiar with her maiden name, Search. We are so excited for this next chapter of her life and the gift of marriage to her best friend. Mr. David Krisa was one of 'Dubya's groomsmen and goodness, it's so fun to see two people you love and admire so much individually come together so purposefully!
God is good and we're praising Him for His faithfulness in their lives as Maegan shares her reflection of Psalm 117 with us, reminding us of this very thing: the what, the how and why of praising the Lord. When not serving at her local church, Maegan spends her days serving as a pediatric nurse at Bethany Children’s Health Center.
Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord! - Psalm 117
My Grandpa Rob was one of the greatest men I have had the privilege of knowing. My senior year, my family had the opportunity to live just down the road from my grandparents in Wisconsin. That year, I had a terrible case of senioritis and after I turned 18, I may have been known to sign myself out of school at least once a week (with my parent’s knowledge, of course). I would regularly show up at my grandparents house for lunch, usually to spend time eating a new food creation that Grandpa Rob thought of at the grocery store. My favorite creation was his pita pocket sandwiches. He would open up the pita pocket and stuff it with deli meat, cheese, mustard, relish and anything else that was in the fridge drawers. This Psalm reminds me of sitting on the balcony in Wisconsin spring, eating pita pockets with my grandpa!
I love this sweet little Psalm. The first thing I notice about this Psalm is it is a sandwich. The bread being, “Praise the LORD,” and the meat being why we praise Him. The LORD is faithful and full of steadfast love. For many of us, we may have people in our life that are loyal or patient with us or supportive and filled with love for us. For me, my parents have been great examples of showing Christ-like love. My mom has patiently sat with me in my deepest hurts, loved me through rebellion and encouraged me through doubts. My dad models protection and fierce love for his family. But, my parents aren’t perfect. They do their best to love those around them, and have raised us three kids to do the same – but no human can endure this perfect love and perfect faithfulness forever. Only the Lord can, and the right response is to “Praise the LORD!”
The next thing I think about with this Psalm is, “what does Praising the LORD look like?” How do you praise the Lord? Do you enjoy singing worship songs in your car with the windows down? Do you enjoy going on hikes and breathing in fresh air? Do you enjoy spending time in the Word? Last year I started journaling my prayers on a daily basis after my quiet time. My mornings are best started when I have time in the Word and I can talk to the Father. I am easily distracted and I find being able to focus on praising and praying is best done when I have a pen in my hand and a blank journal open. I once had a mentor encourage me to look for new qualities of God every day and then praise Him for them! In this very verse we see His faithfulness, where has He been faithful in your life? Thank Him for seeing you through the ups and downs. Praise the Lord!
We all experience tough things that make it hard to praise the Lord, don’t we? Working in healthcare has made me acutely aware of loss and disappointment. Daily I see children healed and miracles happen in the ways that we like to expect them to. Full recoveries from accidents and medical breakthroughs on diagnoses years ago we may not have answers for. But plenty of times, the miracles I see are not the ones we expect them to be. Sometimes it’s an extra few days with a loved one, or a peaceful and quick exit from this earth. I see families heartbroken when their child does not recover the way we all hope they will. You may be experiencing your own heartbreak. Maybe a plan not coming through like you expected it to. A loss of a relationship, a rejection from a dream job, or a “not yet” from a prayer you persistently plead. So what? “Praise the LORD!” Why? Because He is the source of steadfast love, of faithfulness. Because He will not leave you, He will not forsake you. He acutely knows the feeling of loss. The Father’s One and Only Son died on the cross, and they were separated. Jesus knows the pain of rejection, from His friends and His own Father when He was on the Cross. Jesus cries out, “Why have you forsaken me? (Matthew 27:35-37)” Run to the arms of the LORD, because He knows every feeling, He has experienced it. And He is worthy of all praise!
This psalm is only 2 verses, we know that it does not matter how wordy our praises are, it is our heart that matters! So how will you Praise the Lord today? It is such a very Good Day to praise Him! Whether you are in the valley, or the mountaintops… or somewhere in between, He is faithful and worthy to be praised!
Now, It's Your Turn!
Before opening God's Word, take a moment to pray and ask God to meet you there. Then...
Read Psalm 117 a couple times. Highlight what stands out to you.
Circle verbs or specific wording you notice.
Then, write down a bullet point takeaway based on this. "I-statements" help make this personal. Think of this as a challenge statement.
When I experience tough things that make it hard to praise the Lord, I will run to the arms of the Lord, trusting He knows every feeling because He has experienced it and remembering why He is worthy of all praise! I will cling to this remembrance praise the Lord here and now.
Then, jot down a question or two to think about today. You don't have to have the answer to this question now. And yield to the Holy Spirit - prayerfully ask God to search your heart and lead you to more truth and grow your faith through the Holy Spirit.
For what will I praise the Lord today?
Again, we don't have to be Bible scholars and talk only in the thou's and art's of King James version to read this book. ...because when we pray before we read, we are not alone. The Holy Spirit is with us, guiding and teaching us.
Praise God for this!
And praise God for refreshment as we are intentional to spend a summer in the Psalms together, for if we want His truth to ever be on our lips, it must first be planted in our hearts.
Our strength grows as we rely on strength from above. Our joy grows as we see God transforming us from the inside out. Our peace grows as we spend time in God's presence, and we find rest when we intentionally seek the Lord first in our lives, for the Lord is ever our portion.
The good life, well it starts with a good day. Then another. Then another. Let's choose to live #TheGoodDay one day at a time.
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