May Jesus Christ Be Praised

Psalm 100: Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

“When morning gilds the skies, My heart awakening cries, May Jesus Christ be praised. When evening shadows fall, This rings my curfew call: May Jesus Christ be praised.” (LSB #807)

My youngest daughter “sings” with us as part of our devotion time each night. Getting a twenty month old to sit still for a hymn, bible reading and devotion, and family prayers is tricky, but we have been working on it for awhile now, and she is doing it. Well, most of the time. On one occasion recently she was knowingly being naughty, so Daddy had a little talk with her, and when Daddy brings out the stern voice, even I could burst into tears. He spoke and she sobbed, but sobbed…and sang, “May Jesus Christ be praised.” Sniffle, pouty lip, sniffle, tears, “May Jesus Christ be praised.” Deep, shaky breath, tears, sniffle, more tears, “May Jesus Christ be praised.”

I have to admit, she was crazy cute, but she was also a great witness to me that day. Now that the school year is well under way, the newness of our home school adventure is wearing off. Some days the kids love that they get to spend every waking moment with their mom, and other days they miss the bigger classroom environment and of course they really miss their friends. My husband and I have no doubts that our decision to offer our children a Christian education was the right one, but I understand their tears and as their mom, my heart aches for them. Sniffle, tears, hugs, more tears, “May Jesus Christ be praised.”

A woman from our church lost her husband in a terrible accident not long ago, and as often happens following a funeral service he has done for one of his members, my husband received in the mail a few days later, a thank you note. “O, the Lord is good,” she wrote. Sniffle, tears, unknowable sorrow, “O, the Lord is good.” Questions of, what now? Why him? And, how will I ever? “O, the Lord is good.”

We will not find in this life a time when all is right with the world and we don’t have any reason to question or worry. But, we do find a God whose compassion and love for us is beyond measure. So when we feel like crying, we do, and then we sing. We sing to the God who knows our struggles. We sing to the God who knows and provides for our needs. We sing to the God who delivers each one of us through sin and sorrow to the peace and restoration that is ours in the arms of our Savior.

That is the God we praise. That is the God we proclaim as good even through the tears.

Psalm 100: Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.