Words of Hope Daily Devotional
The Words of Hope Devotional is a non-profit, donor-supported publication whose goal is to encourage readers to grow in faith through the practice of daily Bible reading and prayer. The devotional is available in your email, in print, and as an app in Google Play and the App Store.
Delight through Song
Read: Psalm 96:1-13
Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. (v. 2)
My dad once said to me, “April, there are two kinds of people: musicians and music appreciators.” I loved that, and he’s right. Some of us can’t clap on rhythm, while others feel the pulse of the music instinctively. Even though not all of us are musicians, none of us are exempt from praising God through song. Psalm 96 doesn’t say, “Sing to the LORD, all you musician types!” No! It calls the whole earth to sing forth praise to God—musicians and music appreciators alike.
Psalm 96 is a psalm of praise. It calls all the people—all the earth—to praise God. As is common for psalms of praise, Psalm 96 lists reasons for praising: God is great, he created the heavens, he is holy and “to be feared above all gods” (v. 4). The people’s praise is rooted in who God is and what God has done throughout history. By remembering God’s faithfulness to them in the past, the people are encouraged to press on through difficult days; they are inspired to sing out their praise.
Whether you are a musician or a music appreciator, you can sing praise to God by remembering the way God has been with you in the past. You can sing forth God’s praise by celebrating God’s holiness, God’s faithfulness, and God’s love. The praise you offer will be a brand-new song—one unique to you—as you worship God, who created you. —April Fiet
As you pray, take time to remember God’s faithfulness to you in the past.
About the Author
God Pitched His Tent Among Us
READ : John 1:1-18 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. (v. 14) It was raining, cold and hard, as we finally canoed into our camp for the night. It may have been spring back home, with blooming tulips,
Humility in Prayer
READ : Luke 18:9-14 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted. (v. 14) It doesn’t take too much digging into the Bible to realize God honors, and expects, a humble heart.
Saul’s Armor
READ : 1 Samuel 17:19-39 Then Saul . . . put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. (v. 38 NIV) Before David went out to face Goliath, King Saul dressed David in his own
Moses: “Reluctant Leader”
READ : Exodus 3-4:17 Oh, my Lord, please send someone else. (4:13) Moses didn’t exactly see himself as being a spokesperson for God. When God called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses’ first reaction was disbelief. Even when
Uncover His Feet
READ: Ruth 3:1-18 Go and uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what to do. (v. 4) Barley threshing was in progress, and each evening following their work Boaz and his men celebrated another harvest day
A Word of Exhortation
READ : Hebrews 13:20-25 Bear with my word of exhortation. (v. 22) The book of Hebrews was written to encourage wavering Christians. Its recipients were people who professed the Christian faith, but now were having second thoughts. The writer of Hebrews
Our Prayers are a Sweet Aroma to The Lord
READ : Revelation 5:6-12 “…Angels were holding golden bowls, full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints” (v. 8). “Another angel…was given a great quantity of incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints” (Rev. 8:3). Do
Love is the Greatest Virtue
READ : 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13 is well worth memorizing. It upgrades love to the top of the list of Christian virtues. In the
Reflections on Noah’s Ark
READ : Genesis 7:11-16 They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded