Jo’s Place

​ Sing to the God of Jacob. Sing praises to God, our strength.  Sing to the God of Jacob.  Sing! Beat the tambourine.  Play the sweet lyre and the harp.  Blow the ram’s horn at new moon, …and again at full moon to call a festival!  For this is required by the decrees of Israel; …it is a regulation of the God of Jacob.  He made it a law for Israel, when He attacked Egypt to set us free.  I heard an unknown voice say,  “Now I will take the load from your shoulders;  I will free your hands from their heavy tasks.  You cried to Me in trouble, and I saved you;  I answered out of the thundercloud …and tested your faith when there was no water at Meribah.  INTERLUDE (SELAH)  “Listen to Me, O my people, while I give you stern warnings.  O Israel, if you would only listen to Me!  You must never have a foreign god; …you must not bow down before a false god.  For it was I, the Lord your God, who rescued you from the la...

Hannah’s Prayer of Praise Then Hannah prayed:  “My heart rejoices in the Lord!  The Lord has made me strong.  Now I have an answer for my enemies; I rejoice because You rescued me.  No one is holy like the Lord!  There is no one besides    You;  there is no Rock like our God.  “Stop acting so proud and haughty!  Don’t speak with such arrogance!  For the Lord is a God who knows what you have done; He will judge your actions.  The bow of the mighty is now broken, and those who stumbled are now strong.  Those who were well fed are now starving, and those who were starving are now full.  The childless woman now has seven children, and the woman with many children wastes away.  The Lord gives both death and life; He brings some down to the grave but raises others up.  The Lord makes some poor and others rich; He brings some down and lifts others up.  He lifts the poor from the dust  and the needy from t...

David’s Prayer of Praise …David praised the Lord, in the presence of the whole assembly:  “O Lord, the God of our ancestor… may You be praised forever…!  Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty.  Everything in the heavens and on earth is Yours, O Lord… and this is Your kingdom.  We adore You as the One who is over all things.  Wealth and honor come from You alone… for You rule over everything.  Power and might are in Your hand, and, at Your discretion, people are made great and given strength.  “…O God, we thank You… and (we) praise Your glorious name!  But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to You?  Everything we have has come from You… and we give you only what You first gave us!  We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us.  Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace.  “O ...

I will praise the Lord at all times. This is a psalm of David, regarding the time he pretended to be insane in front of Abimelech, who sent him away.  I will praise the Lord at all times.  I will constantly speak His praises.  I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart.  Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt His name together.  I prayed to the Lord, and He answered me.  He freed me from all my fears.  Those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.  In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; He saved me from all my troubles.  For the angel of the Lord is a guard; He surrounds and defends all who fear Him.  Taste and see that the Lord is good.  Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in Him!  Fear the Lord, you His godly people, for those who fear Him will have all they need.  Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but...

Controlling the Tongue Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly.  Indeed, we all make many mistakes.  For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.  We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth.  And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong.  In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.  But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire.  And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire.  It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body.  It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.  People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish,  but no one can tame the tongue.  It is restless ...

I will exalt You, my God and King,   …and praise Your name  …forever and ever.  I will praise You every day;  yes, I will praise You forever.  Great is the Lord!  He is most worthy of praise!  No one can measure His greatness.  …of Your mighty acts;  …let them proclaim Your power.  Let each generation tell its children  I will meditate on Your majestic, …(on Your) glorious splendor  …and Your wonderful miracles.  Your awe-inspiring deeds  …will be on every tongue;  I will proclaim Your greatness.  Everyone will share the story  …of Your wonderful goodness;  They will sing with joy  …about Your righteousness.  The Lord is merciful and compassionate,  …slow to get angry  …and filled with unfailing love.  The Lord is good to everyone.  He showers compassion  …on all His creation.  All of your works  …will thank You, Lord,  and Your faithful followers...