Songs of Praise
Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises, For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise. Psalm 47:6-7
Whether you are a cat or dog lover or not fond of pets at all, this message should resonate within your heart. If it doesn’t, you might want to check your pulse to make sure you are still with us! Written by Rosalind C. Hughes, for All God’s Creatures, there a couple of life lessons in here.
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‘YOU ARE MY sunshine, my only sunshine…”
I sang love songs to my old ginger cat on a regular basis, because he was, in his elder years, blind in at least one eye, missing a back leg and several teeth, and a skinny as the bones in Ezekiel’s valley pursuant to his diabetes and thyroid issue, so I thought he could use the encouragement.
He would tolerate my devotions as only a cat can, secretly pleased and grateful for the attention, but hiss-spit if he’d show it.
God does not need our praise, though God deserves it. The almighty Creator who laid the foundations of the earth and filled it with biodiversity beyond our imaginings has no need for our affirmations. I am fairly certain that the Alpha and the Omega is already aware of just how expansively magnificent and munificent God is. I still love singing the hymns.
Peanut, meanwhile, always did his best to remind me that the world does not revolve around me, demanding often and in irresistible ways that I, instead, pay attention to, serve, and adore something quite other than myself. It did no harm to my sense of awe that the cat himself knew deep in his DNA that he was once a lion, sovereign in the jungle.
I say that I sang to encourage him, but really, I was courting his attention. Isn’t that what love songs are for?
God does not need my praise or encouragement, but I sing all the same, hymns of love and praise to the Almighty, because I hope to hear in their echoes the promise that transcends language, the reassurance of requited love—because I hope that my occasionally off-key love pleases Him.
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Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. Colossians 3:16 (NIV)