“Shout for joy to God, all the earth;
sing the glory of his name;
give to him glorious praise!
Say to God, ‘How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.
All the earth worships you
and sings praises to you;
they sing praises to your name.’
Come and see what God has done:
he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.
He turned the sea into dry land;
they passed through the river on foot.
There did we rejoice in him,
who rules by his might forever,
whose eyes keep watch on the nations—
Bless our God, O peoples;
let the sound of his praise be heard,
who has kept our soul among the living
and has not let our feet slip.
For you, O God, have tested us;
you have tried us as silver is tried.
You brought us into the net;
you laid a crushing burden on our backs;
you let men ride over our heads;
we went through fire and through water;
yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance…
Come and hear, all you who fear God,
and I will tell what he has done for my soul.
I cried to him with my mouth,
and high praise was on my tongue.
If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
But truly God has listened;
he has attended to the voice of my prayer.
Blessed be God,
because he has not rejected my prayer
or removed his steadfast love from me!” Psalm 66:1-7a,8-12,16-20
Where is the place of rejoicing? Where God has done great things. Awesome are His deeds, great is His power. Heaven and earth sing His praises, as He controls them for His purpose and glory. He rules by might forever over peoples and nations and history. He guards our souls safely in salvation, blessing with fellowship and protecting from evil. He brings us into troubles, walks with us through fire and water, and delivers us from want and need into abundance. He is a God who redeems. He has saved our souls and kept them well. He hears our confession and forgives our sins. Blessed be His name!
Cairn: A mound of stones erected as a memorial or marker. Each cairn on a path was erected to remind of a specific time, or accomplishment, or place of rest, each a prompt to remember the Guide who led us there. There, where He met us in darkness; there, when He answered specific prayer; there, when He came palpably in our grief and carried us mysteriously on invisible wings; there, when we intimately knew Him as our closest friend and confidante; there did we rejoice.
And now here, along life’s journey and every steep incline, may we stop often to rejoice. Come and see what He has done for my soul! Here, where He daily greets me with mercy and steadfast love; here, where He makes the improbable way; here, where He keeps my feet from slipping; here, where He opens places of abundance and opportunity; here may I rejoice.
Lord, may I ever join heaven and earth in praising You, and blessing Your name for the great things You have done. In every moment, may I rejoice. (Psalm 103:1-8)
As the rain and snow 