Hide & Seek

Throughout the summer, I’ve been reading the Psalms as part of my yearly bible reading plan. So throughout these Central Thoughts emails this summer, I’ve done a sort of Psummer Psalm Pslam – looking at a different Psalm each week. And today is the last day of the Psalms! 

It’s kind of sad, as I’ve enjoyed reading and reflecting on them! 

Yesterday’s Psalms were some of my favorites – especially 146 and 147. Do yourself a favor and take some time to read them today.  Amazing.

But I want to focus on today’s Psalms (148-150), which end in flurry of praise. I love how the book of Psalms takes us across the emotional spectrum of a relationship with God: from remembering his mighty works for us, to heeding his wisdom, to asking for deliverance from enemies, to wrestling with God (and severely doubting him), to protest against him, and all the way to unbridled praise of him. And I love that it ends with praise – because that’s where our life with God is headed. 

Consider the opening of Psalm 148:

1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
    praise him in the heights!
2 Praise him, all his angels;
    praise him, all his host!
3 Praise him, sun and moon;
    praise him, all you shining stars!
4 Praise him, you highest heavens
    and you waters above the heavens!

The entire world – and indeed, the universe – is meant to reach its highest goal in praise of God, for he created them for his glory and purposes (with us at the center of it!). From such heights, to the lowest depths:

7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
    you sea monsters and all deeps,

But most importantly perhaps, people…and not just any people, all peoples: 

11 Kings of the earth and all peoples,
    princes and all rulers of the earth!
12 Young men and women alike,
    old and young together!
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
    for his name alone is exalted;
    his glory is above earth and heaven.

Did you see that? All peoples are meant to end in praise of God. And yet, as we all know, all people do not praise God.

And that’s where we come in.

God has put his people, the church, on earth in this time, in order to lead people to see him, follow him, surrender their lives to him, and ultimately, to praise him. That’s what we’re here for. And that’s what we need to be “equipped” to do.

Hence, tonight’s Equip seminar: Hide & Seek.

Jesus said that he came to “seek out and save the lost,” and we, as his Body, are to be about the same thing: seeking out the lost. Since the very beginning (think Adam and Eve in the Garden), people have been hiding from God – and the entire story of Scripture is God seeking them out. We, as the church, are the vehicle through whom God does the seeking today. 

So in tonight’s Equip seminar, we’ll talk about evangelism, outreach, and mission: what they are (and are not), how we can learn about them from the New Testament, and begin to discuss how we can participate in them in today’s day and age. It’s at 7PM in the fellowship hall. We’d love to see you tonight!