Book II
The collection of psalms in Book II express lament and distress about present circumstances and conditions while looking to the faithfulness of God.
In the climax of the classic children’s book, Horton Hears a Who!, the people of Whoville, who are so small their entire world is built on a speck, make their voices heard to the wider world by singing together. In the movie version (which my kids love), everyone in Whoville begins singing just as the citizens of the Jungle of Nool start boiling a batch of Beezle-nut oil to drown them in. They didn’t believe there was a city on the speck. Their very idea seemed dangerously silly to them.
So, the citizens of Whoville banged on every pot. They blew every horn. They stomped every foot. And they declared, “We are here! We are here! We are here!” until their enemies could no longer ignore them. Their unified voices pierced through the fog of unbelief. Whoville was saved.
As followers of Jesus, we’re not citizens of Whoville, but we do call an invisible city home (Philippians 1:27). Since it’s a place we can’t see yet, there are plenty who dismiss it as a foolish fairy tale. Like the skeptics of Nool, they conclude that since they cannot hear God with human ears, see God with human eyes, and touch God with human hands, He must be a figment of our overactive imaginations.
But He isn’t. Like Horton who had ears to hear the tiny people of Whoville, we know God is real. We have heard His voice speak to us through His Word and His Spirit. We have seen Him do things that cannot be explained by human effort. We have felt Him move in our hearts, in our homes, in our churches. What can we do to convince a world headed straight for the pot of Beezle-nut oil that He is worthy of their lives?
We can praise.
Today’s psalms are a call to celebrate God together (Psalm 66:1, 67:5, 68:32).
Our singular praise joins the chorus that has been singing since before the earth began. The rocks of the earth worship Him (Luke 19:40). The mountains are shouting His praise (Isaiah 55:12). The trees of the forest are singing for joy (1Chronicles 16:33).
Though seemingly insignificant, our praise draws the lost toward their King. It declares to a dying world that abundant life is available through Jesus Christ. As we worship Jesus, “foolish fairy tales” become sight. Our unified voices declare there is another realm worth living for.
Sisters, let us bang every pot, stomp every foot, raise every hand, and engage every vocal cord. Ours is not the chorus of Whoville. Our goal is not to draw attention to ourselves. Instead through unified praise, may we declare:
He is real!
He is real!
He is real!
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69 thoughts on "Praise God Alone"
Amen!
As a guardian of a little one, I loved the Whoville analogy! I saw it and understood quickly where you headed!!! Wonderful devotional.
❤️
Praise out loud.. praise everywhere… He is REAL! ♥️
“sing to God! Sing praises to his name. Exalt him who rides on the clouds~His name is the Lord—and celebrate before him. “ May I always sing praise to my Lord!
Haha! Love it, Stephanie!
Sorry everyone. I set my phone down to count tooth fairy money with my 7yr old and my 4yr old decided to share.
M
Kimberly Z, praying for your dad and your family.
Praying for your situation Kimberly Z.
If your app is acting glitchy, all you have to do is go back to the main page for the Amen, Amen study, scroll down and you will see today’s devotional God’s Blessings.
Smen
He is real!
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
Blessings.❤
Amen & Amen
Praise God for his life being spared
Praying for you, Kimberly Z., your father, your family, and the doctors & nurses involved in your father’s recovery.
“We have seen him do things that cannot be explained by human effort”. This is so true to me and my family as of lately. I’ve shared before but my dad recently tried committing suicide by shooting himself in face. How that gun misfired that night is beyond any of ours explanation. Through the trials of this terrible accident we have seen so many good things happen. I ask for prayers tonight as my dad heads into his next major surgery tomorrow that will be reconstructing his jaw and grafting his scapula for part of his facial reconstruction. I pray the doctors and anybody who takes care of him while he is in the hospital for the next while is able to understand exactly what he needs. I pray they also feel how special they are to do a hard job that not everybody is capable of doing.
Yes! He is real! Our personal testimonies reveal the “realness” of our God in our lives. We don’t have to have deep theological answers to every unbelievers’ questions. We only need to share what God has done in our lives. No one can refute our testimonies.
He is real and I am so in awe of Him! Praise be to God!
I pray that through my praises, others would be able to understand how amazing God is. I love to praise him and am so glad we got the opportunity to do that. ❤️
AMEN!
Amen! To God be the Glory!
Dear dear Churchmouse, SO glad you are back. I too have recently returned and in years past your insights and wisdom has so touched me in a positive way. Thru you I feel like i get a better grasp of the scriptures and what the lessons are teaching. Praying for your and your families continued health improvement.
HE IS REAL!!!! Yes HE IS!!!
Lord, help me to show others just how REAL YOU and YOUR SON ARE!!! Allow me and help me and remind me that You are the One True God who made everything and to let others know this. I praise You and sing how awesome You are each and every day. Amen.
Sisters, be blessed and SHOUT of HIS AWESOMENESS today.
I love Dr. Suess! Thank you for todays devotion.
Michelle P- Praying for your friend! I used to work in psych too, and yes, saw many staff making fun of patients for their faith. It was heartbreaking. We were even discouraged from sharing our faith or allowing patients to share theirs. I had one patient, who noticed my cross necklace and shared that he was a Christian too, but was fearing that God didn’t love him anymore becasue he had depression and had attempted suicide. I got to minister to him by sneaking bible verses to encourage him. I never got caught thankfully. Praying that your friend stays encouraged and that she continues to be a light in a place of darkness.
Also, praying for your sister and your relationship with her.
So good! Blessed be the Lord,
who daily bears us up;
God is our salvation. – Psalms 68:19. I love this. Daily. Daily! I love the analogy to Horton hears a Who, I just read this book to my little one not long ago. God is real and not far from any one of us as It says in Acts. Mari V hello sister I’ve missed you! Praying for your program. God will bear this for you daily. Praise Him !
Good Morning She’s!! AMEN to all the wonderful comments, I wrote SO many of them down!! The verses today make me think of one of my current worship songs “Same God!” Also, you fans of praise music like myself, you MUST youtube a NEW version of the song “Me On Your Mind” WITH Ann Wilson! Man, can she belt a tune! It is beautiful! I just love stretching every morning to my favorite worship songs!
So happy to see you back Churchmouse, you are always missed when we don’t see you here!! I pray your health continues to be better! We take for granted our health so easily! I certainly have dealt with chronic pain for 18 years which makes my body and movement feel about 25 years older than I am. I exercise and stretch every day thank goodness to keep me going! And praising God of course! He is good! I had a friend pass of ALS, and she praised God in the midst of it all, what a blessing she was. I can’t remember which SHE had lots of pain and in bed, do you She’s remember? I still pray for her and haven’t seen her here lately! Sorry I am rambling.
Have a great day She’s!! Praying for all requests! We had a safe trip and will spend 2 1/2 weeks here at our old home seeing family and friends! Dear Heavenly Father, Let your light shine through me!!
“Shout for joy to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name…”
I love the picture here of all the earth shouting for joy to God. I love to picture praises rising to Him from even the trees and the rocks. And I also love knowing that at any given moment when I sing praises to God, my voice is joining a chorus of others around the world in praise to Him at the same time. He is worthy. May I seek to be part of that chorus more often.
I love this Believe to see!!!
Churchmouse, So happy to see you’re back! You have been missed, prayers for you and your family!
Today, I am returning to She Reads Truth after a season of being separated from the Word of God. I look forward to reading alongside my sisters again and building Bible reading/reflection back into my daily morning schedule!
Amen!
This weekend I put out a prayer request and I want to put it up today Monday. Today I start a hybrid college course in child development. I need the three units  in hopes that I can move up positions at my workplace. I would appreciate your prayers as I’ve always struggled with comprehension and school never came easy to me. And here I am. Please pray that I will understand the assignments and as I navigate through a laptop. I also get to attend one night a week. I want to do well. I want to at least be able to “pass“the class. Thank you my sweet sisters.
You got this. Its already done!
Very encouraging!
I like that “our praise, even in our difficult circumstances, draws a dying world to their King.” On social media many who are going through tough situations create a page to share their journey. And so many respond with praises. I wonder how many come to know Jesus through these pages? I haven’t created one of those pages for my husband’s journey because for one thing he is a very private person and would be embarrassed by the attention it would draw. But I think, deep down, I have been afraid of the day I might have to share that he lost his battle and I’m not ready to face that yet. But now I wonder…am I keeping someone from seeing God working? Will think on this. And welcome back to Churchmouse and Victoria E. It is good to see you sisters here again! Hugs to all ❤️
Psalm 66:4 “The whole earth will worship you and sing praise to you. They will sing praise to your name.” I think about the state of our world, well especially America, and how everyone worships themselves instead of the creator. We praise ourselves and not God. I read this verse and I thought about Christ’s return. Only then will everyone worship God as He deserves, will their eyes be opened to His power and majesty. Psalm 68:17 “God’s chariots are tens of thousands, thousands and thousands; the Lord is among them in the sanctuary as he was at Sinai.” I think about how God parted the red seas and to be honest, I feel like saying, God where are you? Why are you not showing your magnificent power today? Yet I know that there is a time and place for everything (Ecclesiastes) and one day, God will come back and restore order and make His name known. Thank you Lord for your patience and loving kindness, that Jesus came as a lamb and not with His army. He saved us by laying down His life but the story doesn’t end there. Jesus will come back again and this time it will be to establish His reign. My heart aches for others to repent and to know God as healer and savior, to praise God over self. That the whole world would worship the Creator and not man.
Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who DAILY bears our burdens. Ps. 68:19. So encouraging this morning as I am in a season of significant transition and am feeling the return of some depression/anxiety.
O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places. ( Ps 68: 35a) Yes Lord it is You who gives strength and power to Your people. He is real !! ♥️
God is great and thanks to Jesus, I am heard.
For some reason, though I was a HUGE Dr. Seuss kid growing up, I don’t remember this story that well. But my gosh!!! Does it light a fire in my heart! Well, the Psalms did that alone. So encouraging!
My friend Olivia (who is also my youngest brother’s girlfriend) and I were talking about how it can be hard to appear “crazy” to people who don’t have faith- even Christians who lack faith to see the spiritual. She works in a mental health facility and was feeling so down that her coworkers make fun of one of their patients. This one particular girl is diagnosed with “psychosis” and “hears voices” — (another fact: I have been in a mental health facility twice for this very same reason – “diagnosis” — yet as a Christian, I would define it as one’s literal mind hearing/heeding the voice of the enemy…)
Anyways, story for another time! God is bringing a testimony for those trials. :) All things work together for good!! (Romans 8:28)
So Olivia’s coworkers make fun of this little girl when she studies the Bible or prays. They think she is just crazy all around. As a believer, Olivia was expressing to me her frustration with people’s unbelief. Then she mentioned to me how my sister Heather once said to Olivia that my faith was like this, too- just dangerous and crazy. So I was lead to pray for us both, as we struggle to bring light to a work that defines Christian faith as “insanity.”
This devo this morning gives me hope– and reminds to praise God despite people’s unbelief. I actually have been working on a song that addresses this very topic. And I do believe the Lord spoke to me after I started writing it and said that His heart grieves the lack of faith in even His people. :(
May we be women who encourage faith in a God who we haven’t seen but have tasted His goodness, presence, and faithfulness time and time and time and time again!!!!
If you read all this, please pray for my sister Heather. I have asked for prayer before. She used to be my best friend growing up and it can be so hard to connect with her, now. Our faith is so different. She scoffs at prayer but then asks for it when she is in need. It hurts my heart.
P.s Thank you Erin Davis. You are a gift.
Blessed be God! As I lift my hands to Him and offer praises in the storm, a holy veil is lifted and I am shielded from the wind and rains. I am learning to praise God before pleading to Him because He is always awesome even when my situation is not. He reigns. He saves. Always. “Come and see what God has done:…(Psalm 66:5a, I insert many, many answered prayers here). There is always something to see and remember. “Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what He has done for my soul” (Psalm 66:16). Everytime I see the morning light break through on the horizon, or burst through the storm clouds with rays that pierce the darkness, I am reminded of the shining armor of the Divine Warrior who came for me. “Awesome is God from His sanctuary, the God of Israel- He is the one who gives power and strength to His people” (Psalm 68:35). He does. He is. He will. With lifted hands and lifted heart to Him I praise and pray to “the rider on the clouds” (Psalm 68:4). He hears me. Selah. Maranatha. Amen
He is real! Wonderful devotion. Thanks, Erin.
@Angie Mills Psalm 66:10-12 also stood out to me as well! In Jesus, we can have an abundant life, even in the face of trials. I pray that the way I live would be an act of praise and an invitation to those around me to taste and see that the Lord is good! He is a good, good Father! Praying for all the teachers and kids’ first day of school today!
Kelly – We had a great week at VBS, thank you for your prayers! The devotional fits so well with what we experienced during week. We sang a lot and the kids loved it. Throughout the day we would hear the kids singing the songs they had learned at the kids club to themselves because they had gotten stuck in their head. It what’s so cool to see how they sang and testified to others in this way that God is real!
I love how confident David is of God’s presence, power, and goodness. He is half-hearted about praising God, and he is emphatic about the goodness of God. I want to be this honoring of God in my heart, mind and words.
He is real! He is real! He is real!
(I believe. Help my unbelief.)
He is real!!
Love the analogy to “Horton Hears a Who”.
CHURCHMOUSE!! Welcome back, sister!
These Psalms were so beautiful today and brought tears of joy, awe and thankfulness. I was already in tears as I prayed for a family member (neither they nor their family are believers) who has been mired in grief for a few years after the tragic loss of a loved one. This month and next, and especially this coming week, are full of days that either mark or highlight the loss. I would appreciate your prayers, sisters, to get this family through the next month and also that they would come to know the Lord as Savior. They have heard the gospel preached but have not yet been receptive to the Truth.
He is Real and But God!!! Two phrases that will carry my this day ❤️
Our praise is proof to the lost that Jesus is real
Thank you for your words Erin! May we shout to all who will hear God is real and testify. The last in Psalm 68 spoke to me this morning, perhaps because I need His strength for my week ahead.
“Awesome is God from his sanctuary; the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people. Blessed be God!”
Psalm 68:35 ESV
In midst of all the wonderful things for which the psalmist praises God; it’s interesting to note that he also praises God for testing them, refining them as silver is refined, for luring them into a trap, for placing burdens on their backs, for letting men ride over their heads, and for them going through fire and water. Why does the psalmist praise God for these things? Because He brought them out to abundance. (See Psalm 66:10-12)
The suffering that God allows in our lives is used to make us more like Him. In the midst of our suffering, we must remember God’s character. He is good and He will do everything to uphold His glory and to do what is for our good. God may take away something in our life or not allow us to have what we desire, but He knows what will best give us the Christlike character that He desires for us and that we desire for ourselves. No matter what difficult things I go through, I know that God will never leave me or forsake me. I know that He is for me and not against me. I may not understand His ways, but He has revealed His heart to us. His heart is good, just, and kind. His love is everlasting and neverending. These are the truths to which I need to cling when I face any difficulties, testings, and temptations.
This was so good for these crazy times we find ourselves in.
“Though seemingly insignificant, our praise draws the lost toward their King. It declares to a dying world that abundant life is available through Jesus Christ.” THIS! ❤️
Everything God does is for a reason. I think it can be hard to see that, especially when we get it all mixed up with our own ideas of how things ought to be. But ultimately, God shows us love – He has always shown His people love and He deserve for us to recognize Him through praise.
Amen! He is real! This was such a great message today! It truly is indescribable!
Every time I think about heaven I see myself, along with tens of thousands of others, singing praises and dancing for Jesus. This vision can lift me up when I am down and cause me to be in awe of our magnificent God. It brings me peace to know that one day I will be in His presence forever more. When I wonder what my life will be like in heaven I always come back to the vision of worshiping God.
Amen! Jesus is real! Holy Spirit is real! Heaven is real! Thank you Father God!
❤️
I’m jet lagged and trying to do my study. My mind is not very clear…ugh
Hi @ AG. Praying! We started school last week, but the students start today. I would also appreciate prayers!
He is real! Let us all praise Him together so others will hear us and join us!
Ag – I also start school today as the HS sped instructor after 9 years in the middle school. Praying for you and with you that we would show the Father’s love and grace today!
Please keep me in my prayers today so I start the new school year at a new school today! Lord help me bless these children and show them Your way.
By taking my eyes off me and lifting them to the Lord, I bring glory to the only One who deserves it. As HRT concluded today, “Surely, if people witness in me an authentically joyful response to God’s glory, even His most convicted enemies might be compelled to taste and see that He is good.”
ARINA – how did VBS go?
THEBESTISYETTOCOME – can you give us and update on the status of your foster child?
This is a reminder to me of the importance of coming together in public praise. In establishing the place of the ark of God in the tabernacle (1 Chronicles 16) David appointed the Levites as the leaders of the new daily public worship. His song of thanksgiving (verses 8-35) reminded the people to thank God for what He had done, testify of His wondrous acts so that they reminded themselves and bear witness to the faithful reality of God and to proclaim the good news of His salvation (v23). This corporate worship can be felt in verse 36 “and all the people said “amen!” and praised the Lord. What a sound of worship that must have been as they all raised their voices together proclaiming the reality of our God! Hallelujah, He is worthy to be praised!
He is real! He is real!! He is real!!!
Amen and Amen!