Daily Devotions are published Tuesday-Saturday during the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Psalm 148 (NRSV)
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights!
Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his host!
Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars!
Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!
Devotion
This is such an important Psalm to remember during this time. In this Psalm, it says the phrase, “praise him” quite a few times. It is reminding everyone and everything to praise his name, including the sun, the moon, and the wild animals to name a few. It also says to praise him no matter who you are and what you’re going through. I think that this Psalm is something we need to apply to our daily lives.
During this time of loneliness, uncertainty, and confusion, there is one constant: God. This is a really hard time that we are living in right now. I know that personally I have been feeling pretty lonely and sad at times. I miss my friends and my extended family members. I also miss going to school and my extracurricular activities. Most of all, I miss going to church, puppets, choir and bells, and youth group every Sunday. I just miss normal life, and I know many others feel that way too. However, I know that this will not get any easier if I sit and feel sad all day long. During this time, I’ve been trying to thank God for all the things that I do have right now and praising him. It creates a better mindset when you focus on the positives instead of on the negatives.
This is why Psalm 148 relates to this time we are living in. It reminds us to praise God for everything in our lives and to be thankful. I will share some ways I’ve been praising God during this time and you can apply them to your daily lives too. Lately, I’ve been thanking God for his beautiful creation by going outside. I’ve been going on walks to remind myself how amazing nature is and thanking God for creating it. I’ve also been praising him for my family. I praise him for allowing me to spend more time with them and for their constant support. I’ve also been reaching out to my friends through Zoom and Facetime. I’ve been thanking God for the ability to get in touch with them. Now that I’ve shared a few examples, you should think of things you can praise God for during this hard time. Even if it is something small, God will appreciate it and you will feel closer to him. We all have things that we can be thankful for during this time, so remember to praise God for them!
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for guiding us during this hard time. Thank you for loving us no matter what and for always supporting us through our ups and downs. We thank you for being a constant in this time of confusion. As we continue with our week, we ask you to help us find ways to praise you during this time. We ask you to remind us to be thankful and to focus on the positives in our lives right now, Lord. Please help us get closer to you and to praise you for all that you are and all that you are supplying us. In your holy name, Amen.
Emma Staeger