Psalm 113:1-3

Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord, from this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised!

It is the day before Christmas Eve 2020, and this is the final entry in Deep Waters – Leroy Chapel’s one-year devotion on the Psalms. God firmly and lovingly held us as we waded through the turbulent waters of 2020. High tide and low tide, we were secure in the embrace of His everlasting arms. And while this will be the last devotion to be published under this project, we know that God will always use His Word to minister to us in many different ways in the new year.

Sometimes when I finish a project, I can’t help but be struck by the transient and finite nature of all that we do and all that we have here on planet Earth. Everything has a beginning and an ending. On this side of heaven, even the most significant relationships are temporary; hence the marriage vow “till death do us part.”

Today we reflect on Psalm 113, where the Psalmist invites us to praise and bless the name of the Lord. We, who consider ourselves His servants, are summoned to praise His name forever. Yes! Forever! Because of the Messiah who came to earth that first Christmas, and through His finished work on the cross, there is indeed an eternity to look forward to, for those who are in Christ. The author of Ecclesiastes tells us that God “has put eternity into man’s heart.” He meant for us to long for something much greater than the here and now, where we will enjoy His presence in glory. And in that glorious Kingdom, we will praise Him not just for a brief moment of devotion on a Psalm, or 90 minutes of Sunday service, but forever.

Nonetheless, even right here, right now, in this 2 nd advent while we anticipate the return of Christ our Bridegroom, we can live a life of worshipful waiting each day, from the rising of the sun to its setting. When the eyes of our hearts begin to see and be awed by the wonderful truth that we have been betrothed to no less than the King of Kings, praising Him will never be the same. We who are His bride, who stand secure in the love of the Bridegroom, will find sufficient grace to bless His name in all things and forevermore. Let’s do that. Everyday. Until He comes again. Praise the name of the Lord!

Dear Lord, as we celebrate your birth, draw our hearts deeply to you, our Messiah and coming
King. Remove the scales from our eyes, and help us to fix our gaze on you Jesus, the Author and
Perfector of our faith, that we may delight in all that you are, and praise you forevermore. Amen.

– Chat Baron