This Sunday, we spent some time considering a glorious psalm of praise - Psalm 146. That psalm begins: “Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, o my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live and sing praises to my God while I have my being.” One commentator writes “The believer’s life should be continuous praise.” “Should be” are the operative words. We often find ourselves in a wide array of challenging circumstances. Sometimes, beyond challenging! I was talking to a fellow Christian this week who said that “despair has been afflicting me today.” Has despair been afflicting you lately?

There are times when the words of Psalm 146 seem next to impossible. We cannot see a way through the challenges and the brokenness that surround us. Psalm 146 teaches us that there is only One thing that can change our view of every experience. It’s a clear view of the Lord (Yahweh). Hallelujah means “Praise Yah” (short for Yahweh). Our Lord is not a God who is indifferent to our sufferings. He is not distant from our struggles. In fact, He is the One who has climbed right down into the pit with us. Our Lord has entered into our sufferings in order that He might carry us through them and out into endless glory. Our message this week reminds us where our help and our hope come from as Christians. Come this Sunday whether you are struggling or rejoicing. Our sermon is called “Our King Forever” and, praise the Lord, He is!

In Christ, Kevin Dibbley, Senior Pastor