“God, within Your temple, we contemplate Your faithful love. Like Your name, God, so Your praise reaches to the ends of the earth…” Psalm 48:9-10
Praise is the native language of creation. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the skies proclaim the work of his hands” (Psalm 19:1, NIV). But for us humans, praise is an acquired language.
Like a patient parent, God instructed the Israelites in the language of praise. Up on the mountain build a great city with a temple in the middle at the summit (Psalm 48:1-3, 9-14). All of these physical cues served to elevate the minds of the people above themselves. But even that was not enough.
“We contemplate your faithful love.” Unique among creation, humans must contemplate God’s character. We need both the exterior reminders of God’s greatness and the interior reminder of His faithful love for our hearts to join the chorus of creation in praise.
Today, which reminder does your heart need in order to join the chorus? Will it be a walk among the towering trees and commanding bluffs of Cameron Park, or a retreat to name God’s kindness to you over the years? If praise is not erupting from your heart and lips, then it is time to follow the cues of creation and to contemplate the faithful love of our God.
Think These Things 