God Wants True Worship
Psalm 50
A PSALM OF ASAPH.
1The God of gods, the LORD, speaks.
He calls the earth from the rising to the setting sun.
2God shines from
whose beauty is perfect.
3Our God comes, and he will not be silent.
A fire burns in front of him,
and a powerful storm surrounds him.
4He calls to the sky above and to the earth
that he might judge his people.
5He says, “Gather around, you who worship me,
who have made an agreement with me, using a sacrifice.”
6God is the judge,
and even the skies say he is right.
Selah
7God says, “My people, listen to me;
I am God, your God.
8I do not scold you for your sacrifices.
You always bring me your burnt offerings.
9But I do not need bulls from your stalls
or goats from your pens,
10because every animal of the forest is already mine.
The cattle on a thousand hills are mine.
11I know every bird on the mountains,
and every living thing in the fields is mine.
12If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
because the earth and everything in it are mine.
13I don’t eat the meat of bulls
or drink the blood of goats.
14Give an offering to show thanks to God.
Give God Most High what you have promised.
15Call to me in times of trouble.
I will save you, and you will honor me.”
16But God says to the wicked,
“Why do you talk about my laws?
Why do you mention my agreement?
17You hate my teachings
and turn your back on what I say.
18When you see a thief, you join him.
You take part in adultery.
19You don’t stop your mouth from speaking evil,
and your tongue makes up lies.
20You speak against your brother
and lie about your mother’s son.
21I have kept quiet while you did these things,
so you thought I was just like you.
But I will scold you
and accuse you to your face.
22“Think about this, you who forget God.
Otherwise, I will tear you apart,
and no one will save you.
23Those people honor me
who bring me offerings to show thanks.
And I, God, will save those who do that.”
Title: The Holy Bible, New Century Version
Praise to God Who Made the World
Psalm 104
1My whole being, praise the LORD.
LORD my God, you are very great.
You are clothed with glory and majesty;
2you wear light like a robe.
You stretch out the skies like a tent.
3You build your room above the clouds.
You make the clouds your chariot,
and you ride on the wings of the wind.
4You make the winds your messengers,
and flames of fire are your servants.
5You built the earth on its foundations
so it can never be moved.
6You covered the earth with oceans;
the water was above the mountains.
7But at your command, the water rushed away.
When you thundered your orders, it hurried away.
8The mountains rose; the valleys sank.
The water went to the places you made for it.
9You set borders for the seas that they cannot cross,
so water will never cover the earth again.
10You make springs pour into the ravines;
they flow between the mountains.
11They water all the wild animals;
the wild donkeys come there to drink.
12Wild birds make nests by the water;
they sing among the tree branches.
13You water the mountains from above.
The earth is full of the things you made.
14You make the grass for cattle
and vegetables for the people.
You make food grow from the earth.
15You give us wine that makes happy hearts
and olive oil that makes our faces shine.
You give us bread that gives us strength.
16The LORD’S trees have plenty of water;
they are the cedars of Lebanon, which he planted.
17The birds make their nests there;
the stork’s home is in the fir trees.
18The high mountains belong to the wild goats.
The rocks are hiding places for the badgers.
19You made the moon to mark the seasons,
and the sun always knows when to set.
20You make it dark, and it becomes night.
Then all the wild animals creep around.
21The lions roar as they attack.
They look to God for food.
22When the sun rises, they leave
and go back to their dens to lie down.
23Then people go to work
and work until evening.
24LORD, you have made many things;
with your wisdom you made them all.
The earth is full of your riches.
25Look at the sea, so big and wide,
with creatures large and small that cannot be counted.
26Ships travel over the ocean,
and there is the sea monster Leviathan,
which you made to play there.
27All these things depend on you
to give them their food at the right time.
28When you give it to them,
they gather it up.
When you open your hand,
they are filled with good food.
29When you turn away from them,
they become frightened.
When you take away their breath,
they die and turn to dust.
30When you breathe on them,
they are created,
and you make the land new again.
31May the glory of the LORD be forever.
May the LORD enjoy what he has made.
32He just looks at the earth, and it shakes.
He touches the mountains, and they smoke.
33I will sing to the LORD all my life;
I will sing praises to my God as long as I live.
34May my thoughts please him;
I am happy in the LORD.
35Let sinners be destroyed from the earth,
and let the wicked live no longer.
My whole being, praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD.
Title: The Holy Bible, New Century Version
Praise God Who Helps His People
Psalm 147
1Praise the LORD!
It is good to sing praises to our God;
it is good and pleasant to praise him.
2The LORD rebuilds
he brings back the captured Israelites.
3He heals the brokenhearted
and bandages their wounds.
4He counts the stars
and names each one.
5Our Lord is great and very powerful.
There is no limit to what he knows.
6The LORD defends the humble,
but he throws the wicked to the ground.
7Sing praises to the LORD;
praise our God with harps.
8He fills the sky with clouds
and sends rain to the earth
and makes grass grow on the hills.
9He gives food to cattle
and to the little birds that call.
10He does not enjoy the strength of a horse
or the strength of a man.
11The LORD is pleased with those who respect him,
with those who trust his love.
12Jerusalem, praise the LORD;
13He makes your city gates strong
and blesses your children inside.
14He brings peace to your country
and fills you with the finest grain.
15He gives a command to the earth,
and it quickly obeys him.
16He spreads the snow like wool
and scatters the frost like ashes.
17He throws down hail like rocks.
No one can stand the cold he sends.
18Then he gives a command, and it melts.
He sends the breezes, and the waters flow.
19He gave his word to Jacob,
his laws and demands to
20He didn’t do this for any other nation.
They don’t know his laws.
Praise the LORD!
Title: The Holy Bible, New Century Version
The World Should Praise the Lord
Psalm 148
1Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD from the skies.
Praise him high above the earth.
2Praise him, all you angels.
Praise him, all you armies of heaven.
3Praise him, sun and moon.
Praise him, all you shining stars.
4Praise him, highest heavens
and you waters above the sky.
5Let them praise the LORD,
because they were created by his command.
6He put them in place forever and ever;
he made a law that will never change.
7Praise the LORD from the earth,
you large sea animals and all the oceans,
8lightning and hail, snow and mist,
and stormy winds that obey him,
9mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,
10wild animals and all cattle,
crawling animals and birds,
11kings of the earth and all nations,
princes and all rulers of the earth,
12young men and women,
old people and children.
13Praise the LORD,
because he alone is great.
He is more wonderful than heaven and earth.
14God has given his people a king.
He should be praised by all who belong to him;
he should be praised by the Israelites, the people closest to his heart.
Praise the LORD!
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