Nursery - Again?

1 Peter 2:1-4

Wherefore laying aside all malice, and guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby; if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

Working in the church nursery again has been fun and challenging. My kids are twelve and seven so the mental recall of what a baby needs has been painful, but alas not forgotten. I remain amazed at the inherent maternal instincts that God has blessed women with.

Babies are loveable, innocent, sweet, precious, and I am probably one of a few who would say, challenging. Thanks to my competitive nature I love challenges. Having relatively older children my brain is challenged to understand and recall again the language of a baby. Is that whimper from discomfort with gas? Is he tired? Is he wet? Is he hungry? Does he just want his mama? Does he want to be held and snuggled? Oh my, what am I doing back in the nursery?

With all honesty I can tell you that it didn’t take long to find that once believed lost understanding. Besides the sheer joy that a mother would trust us to care for her child for a couple of hours, there is one more pleasure in the nursery; a baby that is hungry and wants to be fed.

If you understand the baby’s language and the crying early enough you will have instant pleasure in satisfying a simple need. A hungry baby becomes wiggly, uncomfortable, discontented, and very very vocal. Place the bottle in the baby’s mouth and all that goes away. Pure contentment and delight is evident in the body language of the baby. Some babies latch hold of the bottle and inhale like a vacuum. Others latch on and gently enjoy every swallow. Regardless, the baby is nourished and satisfied until the next feeding.

“As newborn babes” we are to desire the “sincere word.” We should be like the babies who become uncomfortable when we miss our bible reading in the morning. We should be distressed when we don’t study our Sunday school lesson or quiet devotional. Our whole body should cry in pain when we go days, weeks, months, and years without so much as reading the Bible.

If you have tasted that the Lord is gracious than you should be uncomfortable, discontented, and even feel malnourished if you do not read the Word of God on a regular basis. Babies have regular feedings and so should you.

Praise the Lord

Psalm 150:6
Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.

As I sit here this morning the dawn of the new day is transitioned with a beautiful chorus from the birds outside the window. A beautiful melody. A song of a new day. A song of provision. A song of beauty and love and joined by others. O, “let everything that hath breath praise the Lord.”

How is it that the birds have a new song every morning and I struggle to get out of bed and whisper a simple, “Good morning Lord?” Every morning should be filled with a new song in my heart. Every morning I should dance with joy that my Redeemer lives and death has lost its sting. Every morning I should recall the “work of His hand” in all creation and in my own life. Every morning I should know His loving forgiveness that removes my shame as “far as the east is from the west.” Every morning I should know that He fills my cup with joy and it runs over. Every morning I should know the expanse of His love that nailed my Savior to the cross. Every morning my heart should sing with the birds; singing praises to the King who was, who is, and who is to come.

Praise God in his sanctuary.
Praise him in the firmament of his power.
Praise him for his mighty acts.
Praise him according to his excellent greatness.
Praise him with the sound of the trumphet.
Praise him with the psaltery and harp.
Praise him with the timbrel and dance.
Praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
Praise him upon the loud cymbols.
Praise him upon the high-sounding cymbols.
Let everything that hath breath praise the lord.
Praise ye the Lord. (Psalm 150)

Sing!

1 Timothy 1:14-17
And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all long-suffering, for a pattern to them which should here after believe on him to life everlasting. Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Today is Sunday, a day for corporate worship. A day to gather with the saints and sing praises to the King. Today is the day where Christ is known to all believers, because where two or more are gathered in His name, there He is in the midst of them. Today is the day to enter the temple courts with alms, praise, and thanksgiving.

Do you know “the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God?” Do you know the God of salvation, of peace, of joy? Do you know the God who provides, the God who heals, the God who leads us in triumphant procession? Do you know the God whose banqueting table is prepared for you? Do you know the God who leads you to green pastures and beside the still waters?

O, if you know Him lift high your voice and sing! “Great is thy faithfulness.” “Unto thee O Lord I will lift up my voice.” “Glory in the highest.” “It is well with my soul.”

O, lift high your voice and sing for He ransomed the sinners. He freed the chains that bind. He has healed the broken hearted. He, the Creator, loves His most precious creation, you!

Do you know this love? Sing as one who knows this love. Sing as one who knows this freedom. Sing as one just pardoned. Sing as one just freed from guilt and shame. O, lift high your voice and sing to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, only wise God, Holy, Almighty, all glorious, and all powerful. Sing!!

Give the Lord the glory due Him.

Psalm 29:2
Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

You spoke and there was made light in a darkened and formless world.
You spoke and light and darkness where given names.
You spoke and the formless world became a sure foundation, dividing the heavens.
You spoke and the firmament was called, Heaven.
You spoke and land was formed among the waters.
You spoke and called this land, Earth.
You spoke and the Earth produced grass, plants, vegetation, and fruit bearing trees.
You spoke and are delighted with Your handiwork; “It was good.”
You spoke and the stars, the moon, and the sun were placed in the Heavens.
You spoke and the animals of the water, land, and sea were formed.
You spoke and said, “It was good. Receive My blessings; be fruitful and multiply.”

You spoke and man was created in Your image; created with precision and care; and created as one single breathe of life, unlike the creations of many the days before. You spoke and created man. You took all day forming and creating this one creation. You spoke and gave man a purpose; “have dominion and rule over all creation; the plants and the animals of the air, land, and sea. You spoke and man listened.

O, “give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.”

If we know nothing else about God other than his creation, the world around us, it should fill our hearts with such wonder and awe that we naturally worship Him. The beauty of a sunrise, because God... The songs of the birds, because God… The flowers in the field, because God… Because God is the designer and creator of all things. He spoke.

O, worship the Lord, for there is none like him. O, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. “Hear, O Lord, when I cry out with my voice.” You alone deserve honor, and glory, and praise. Hear, O Lord, the song of your servant as I sing, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty? Who was, and is, and is to come!” O, worship the Lord. Come and sing praises to the King!