Lent Devotional

My name is Garrett Hall. I've been married to my wonderful wife, Bri, for eight months; we have two dogs, a 3.5-year-old black lab named Murphy and a 9-month-old golden retriever named Molly. I currently serve as the Adult Ministries Pastor at Fellowship Dallas and have worked at Fellowship for almost four years. Today, let's enjoy a devotional together during this Lent season. Psalm 96 presents a beautiful song about God and His dominion over the earth; it speaks to God's ability to rule and judge in fairness and authority.

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When I read this Psalm, I sense a call to join all of creation in praising God and recognizing His place as Creator of the Universe. There are many moments throughout Psalm 96 where comparisons are made, one of which stands out to me the most:

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"For all the gods of the nations are worthless, but the LORD made the sky." (v5)

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This simple, yet striking, verse puts the idols of this world in comparison with our LORD, who made the sky. I'm captivated by this comparison because I often don't even "see" the sky... it just exists. But God, in His splendor, created the sky — He made it! The sky that contains clouds that produce rain, lightning, and thunder; the sky that holds a sunset for each of us to stare at in beauty; the sky that stewards the air we need to breathe and live. What could the idols of this world — money, power, influence, sex, possessions — hold to the grandeur and majesty of our God who made the sky?

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This Psalm links our LORD and His power to create with His ability to judge. For if even the sky rejoices at His presence, the earth is happy for His goodness, the sea and everything in it shouts for joy at His power, and the fields and everything in them celebrate His provision, who are we to believe He isn't worthy to judge according to His standards?

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This morning, LORD, I choose to submit myself to you and join with the song of the world I'm living in to praise Your goodness and glory. Would you move in my heart to produce the song that I don't have words for? Spirit, would you conform my mind to the mind of Christ, that I may trust His judgment over my own? Amen.