“The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”
~ Psalm 24:1
Hi James and Ellen,
What makes you happy? Does going to school make you happy? Does visiting a zoo make you happy? Does watching TV make you happy? Does spending time with your Aunt Lynn and Uncle Chris make you happy? Does attending Sunday School make you happy? Does having Bible stories read to you make you happy? Your grandpaa is sure that your dad and/or ma do things for you and take you to places to make you happy. When your grandpaa was a little kid, your grandpaa’s dad and ma would often go fishing in a lake that is real close to the house where your grandpaa grew up. The lake’s name is Lake Goldsmith. Most of the time when your grandpaa’s dad and ma fished in Lake Goldsmith, your dad’s grandma and grandpa would catch bullheads. Your grandpaa’s dad and ma would use long cane poles to catch fish. When your grandpaa got to be about your age James, your grandpaa’s dad and ma got your grandpaa his own cane pole to use to catch fish. Your dad’s grandpa could catch all kinds of fish. Your dad’s grandpa was especially good at catching crappies. Your dad’s grandma was always happy when perch were caught as your grandpaa’s ma really likes to eat perch. When your grandpaa got older, your grandpaa’s dad and ma got your grandpaa a rod and reel. Your grandpaa was always happy when he could go fishing with his dad and ma. Your grandpaa today especially misses going ice fishing. The temperature where your grandpaa lives now never gets cold enough to freeze over the area lakes. Your grandpaa hopes that you will be able to go fishing someday.
Do you think that fishing is the answer for a guy, gal or kid to become happy? Do you think that worshipping God is the answer for a guy, gal or kid to become happy? Your grandmaa and grandpaa always had to go to church when they were your age. Your grandpaa when he was a kid was not happy that his dad and ma made him go with them every Sunday morning and afternoon. Your grandpaa did not like it that he was expected to listen to something that was nothing but gibberish to him. How do you feel when you are in church? After your grandmaa and grandpaa were married, your grandmaa and grandpaa went to the church where they were married. Your grandmaa taught a Sunday School class. Your grandmaa is a very good teacher. Your grandmaa liked to teach little kids – kids like you James. Your grandpaa wanted to do something in the church but . . . when your grandpaa was asked to transfer to Springfield, Massachusetts to manage the Liberty Loan office that was there, your grandpaa – after talking with your grandmaa, decided to make the move. After your grandmaa and grandpaa found a place to live in Agawam – which is a town that is located near Springfield, your grandmaa and grandpaa began to look for a church to attend. Your grandmaa and grandpaa felt that it was very important that they should weekly go to a church. Your grandmaa and grandpaa started to attend a Bible Baptist Church. Your grandmaa and grandpaa were able to get to know the pastor and his wife. The pastor and his wife even went fishing one day with your grandmaa and grandpaa. When the pastor of the Bible Baptist Church moved to Minneapolis to teach Bible at Bethel College, the Bible Baptist Church had to find another pastor. When the new pastor found out that your grandmaa and grandpaa had never been baptized as adults, your grandmaa and grandpaa began to hear the new pastor repeatedly mention in his sermons how necessary that it was that every guy, gal and kid be baptized by immersion who makes a decision of faith to believe in Jesus as his or her Lord and Savior. Your grandmaa and grandpaa decided to try to find another church to attend. When your grandmaa and grandpaa could not find another church where they felt happy attending, your grandmaa and grandpaa decided to relocate to Sioux Falls, South Dakota where they knew that there was a church where they would be very happy to attend. Your grandmaa and grandpaa really missed attending weekly a church that they enjoyed attending.
What do you think that your grandmaa and grandpaa missed the most when they did not weekly attend church services? What do you know that takes place in churches? God is worshipped in churches. God can be worshipped at home but . . . how do you think that God feels when guys, gals and kids get together in one place – like a church, to worship Him. Your grandpaa is sure that God is very happy. When God is happy with an assortment of guys, gals and kids who are Christ-followers who are worshipping Him, what do think will happen? God will bless the guys, gals and kids who are worshipping Him. Do you know of a guy in the Bible who knew how to worship God and who made God very happy? David knew how to worship God and he made God very happy. God led David to write Psalms or songs to Him – which God then had His specially chosen guys and gals sing. God led David to write Psalms or songs that were used in processions. One of the songs that God led David to write – Psalm 24, was to be sung while the ark of the covenant was being taken to Jerusalem or to be sung to remember the ark of the covenant when it was in Jerusalem. This Psalm or song praises God for Who He is and what He has done. God impressed on David to write in verse 1 “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” As they walked or marched to where the ark of the covenant would be put or where it was in Jerusalem, God’s specially chosen guys and gals would chant who God is – that God is the King of glory and that God is strong and mighty. Worshipping God is what makes God’s specially elected guys and gals – like your grandmaa and grandpaa, feel very happy. God always wants His specially elected guys, gals and kids to praise and worship Him by singing songs to Him. A Christ-follower church is a great place to go to to praise and worship God and to feel happy and blessed.
Psalm 24 (165)