Send to Kindleby Robin McKinley,
Narrated by Artificial Intelligence, Eric,
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The Psalms revolve around three major themes: thanksgiving, praise, and joy. Each of them works in conjunction with the other two. Psalm 47 urges us to offer joyful praise with shouts to the Lord.
Come, everyone! Clap your hands! Shout to God with joyful praise! Psalm 47:1
For some reason, worshiping God has evolved into this solemn, quiet, traditional ritual in many places on Sunday mornings. Even responsive readings that quote Psalms of praise, like Psalm 47, are done with a sober, methodical reverence.
I was raised in a very quiet, conservative, mainline church. But, when reading a verse like Psalm 47:1, don’t you want to clap your hands and shout? I do!
At a concert or a show, we will put our hands together in applause, expressing our appreciation. The Psalmist says, Come, everyone! Clap your hands!
He is not asking us to applaud the Lord. God is worthy of much more than our applause. It’s a beginning place for our worship.
Our verse for today says, Shout to God with joyful praise! The Psalmist used the word shout twice in this chapter.
In this first verse, we are shouting to God. There is nothing timid about shouting.
- What do we shout? Praise God!
- The reason we shout? To joyfully praise God.
The Lord Comes With a Shout
In the fifth verse, the Psalmist used the word shout a second time. This time, we see God doing the shouting.
God has ascended with a mighty shout. The Lord has ascended with trumpets blaring. Psalm 47:5
When God shows up, He comes with a shout. The trumpets don’t just play; their sound blares. There are no spectators. According to verse 6, everyone there is involved.
Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises! Psalm 47:6
I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for that meeting. Hopefully, you are too. And according to verse 1, the Lord has invited everyone. It says, “Come, everyone.”
I wonder if we should begin practicing now in preparation for the day when the Lord shouts and the trumpet blares. Hopefully, you have a song in your heart and praise upon your lips.
You can go out into the world with victory because of what verses 2 and 3 say.
For the Lord Most High is awesome. He is the great King of all the earth. He subdues the nations before us, putting our enemies beneath our feet. Psalm 47:2-3
So, what are you waiting for? Come, everyone! Clap your hands! Shout to God with joyful praise!
Lord, thank you for your invitation to come and worship you. Stir our hearts today and receive our praise and thanksgiving.
About the Author:
Robin, with his wife Cindy, became children’s evangelists early in their ministry. They ministered to children full time for 8 years. During that time they developed several children’s stories which were told with visuals and puppets.
Robin recently turned two of those stories into children’s books. One is called “The Contest,” a book about the Fruit of the Spirit, and the other is called “Twas the Night of Christmas”. He has also authored 5 volumes of devotional books called, 3 Minutes Alone with God. Each entry is a product of his personal biblical Journaling.
These and his other writings are available on his website called Christian Perspectives at www.ramckinley.com. When you visit this site, you can sign-up for newly written devotions as they come out which will be emailed to you.
Presently Robin is the pastor of Calvary Christian Center in Pottstown, PA. He is an ordained minister with the Assemblies of God. He and his wife make their home in Birdsboro, Pa. He also serves as the president of the local ministerium. He and Cindy have two married sons and four grandchildren.
