Text:

"1 Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright.  2 Give thanks to the Lord with 

the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!  3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.  4 For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.  5 He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.  6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.  7 He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses.  8 Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!  9 For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.  10 The Lord

brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples.  11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.  12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage! 13 The Lord looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man; 14 from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth,  15 he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds.  16 The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.  17 The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue.  18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,  19 that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine.  20 Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.  21 For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.  22 Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you."

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Lexicon:

vs. 1 - shout for joy - "cry out, rejoice, cry aloud, to emit a stridulous sound"

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vs. 1 - befits - "comely, beautiful, seemly"

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vs. 2 - new song - "fresh song"

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vs. 8 - fear - "revere, stand in awe of, honor, respect"

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vs. 10 - counsel - "purpose, advice"

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vs. 10 - nothing - "to break, crush"

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vs. 10 - frustrates - "to hinder, hold back, forbid, disallow, restrain, discourage, make averse

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vs. 12 - Blessed - "happiness"

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vs. 15 - fashions - "to form, be created, to be predetermined, of original creation, of individuals at conception"

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vs. 15 - hearts - "inner part, mind, will, understanding, soul, thinking, memory, conscience, seat of courage, seat

of emotions and passions, seat of appetites

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vs. 15 - observes - "discern, understand, consider"

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vs. 18 - hope - "to wait, expect"

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vs. 19 - keep them alive - "remain alive; sustain life; live prosperously; be restored to life or health; be quickened

from discouragement, faintness, death, sickness; to cause to grow"

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vs. 19 - famine - "hunger"

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vs. 20 - waits - " long for, await"

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vs. 21 - "holy" - holiness, apartness, separateness, sacredness"

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vs. 21 - "name" - reputation, fame, glory, The Name"

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What does this reveal about God's character?

God is all-powerful, yet relationship-oriented.  He spoke the worlds into existence and still longs to hear the beautiful praises of His people.  He is sovereign and knows what is best for us, going so far as to frustrate our plans to accomplish His perfect plan for our lives.  He is the sustainer of life and encouragement in the hard times.

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Questions:

1) Do I cry aloud to the Lord to bless and praise Him?

2) Do I believe God longs to hear my praise - even if I'm not great at singing or praying?

3) Do I get frustrated when the Lord frustrates my plans?  If so, what do I need to surrender to Him to allow Him free reign in my life?

4) Do I wait for the Lord with expectation?  If not, where do I need God to breathe hope within me?  If yes, do I box Him in with my expectations are or am I expectantly waiting for His plan to unfold for me?

5) Do I look to God to sustain me?  Or do I turn to someone or something else to get me through the difficulties of life (i.e., friends, family, coworkers, alcohol, drugs, sex, movies, career, church, children, hobbies, sleep, food)?

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Prayer:

Father, I bless your holy name and praise you for who you are and all you've done.  You are omnipotent and sovereign, yet you still long for intimacy with me.  I praise you for thinking of me and being inclined to me. Forgive me for taking matters into my own hands and assuming I know best, when in truth your plans are the best for my life.  Mold me into your image.  Align my heart with yours so that your will for me becomes my desire.  Lord, you are my salvation, and when things get tough I pray you would help me cling to you through it all.  Thank you for sustaining and encouraging me in the hard places.  Help me to praise you through whatever storms come my way, knowing you have good plans for me.  I will choose to bless your holy name, The Name that is above every name and over every situation.  I love you, Lord.  In Jesus' name, Amen!