Take time to Praise-Psalm 65

                Today is Labor Day.  It is a holiday that began in the 1800s as a celebration of the labor unions and labor workers.  A day of festivity giving laborers and their families a day to be together, be fed and to play.  We don’t really think of that today when we celebrate Labor Day.  For us today Labor Day is the mark of the end of the summer.  Last camping trips are taken.  The labor of the harvest for the year is drawing to a close.  Green beans have been strung, broken and canned for the winter.  All the things you could possibly make with zucchini has been made.  Squash has been eaten by the pounds.  Corn has been shucked, silked and frozen.  The lightening bugs are no longer appearing.  A shift of seasons is in the air. 

                I love living in the mountains of North Carolina where we are able to see the cycle of all seasons and experience the miracle of God’s creation.  From the Tulips first bloom in the spring, to the green mountains of summer, the artwork of the colors of fall to the snow-capped pines in the winter, it is all breath taking.  I can sit on the parkway and be amazed at the sunset over the mountains.  I can stand at the edge of the ocean and watch the waves come in and meet together as they arrive to the shore.  I can stand on my cousin’s balcony in Clearwater and take in the glorious painting of the sunset over the Gulf. In each of these portraits of life I see and experience the presence of God. 

                When Jesus taught us to pray he first said we should give praise to God.  The Psalmist of Psalm 65 gives us an example of praise to go to.  The psalmist first gives thanks and praise to God for answered prayers and for forgiveness.  The Psalmist Thanks God for salvation and for hope. Then the psalmist recognizes God as the creator of the mountains and the seas, of the morning and the evening. 

                When you are at a loss for words of Praise turn to Psalm 65 and make this your prayer.  It is my prayer today as I thank God for the harvest of the summer and for the hope for all that lies ahead.  It is my prayer today as I thank God for being with me in a season of overwhelming iniquity.  It is my prayer today as I thank God for being a forgiving God who forgives me when I stop trusting in the one who has all the answers and try to find the answers of my own accord.  It is my prayer today as I stand on my porch and take in the beauty of the mountains that surround me.  Take time out of your day today to be thankful and to give praise.