Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. - Psalms 68:19 NIV
Of all things, this morning, after reading this verse, I started thinking about commas. Yes, those pauses within a sentence that give what we are writing meaning and inflection. If you were to read my first drafts of anything, you quickly know I struggle with placing them, often using too many. They need to be placed in just the right places.
By reading today's verse with long pauses at each comma, we can perhaps garnish something different in the meaning. "Praise be to the Lord!" We have good reason to give God praise at all times. He blesses with gifts beyond measure. "God our Savior" in his grace extended redemption by taking earthly form and sacrificing himself to atone for our sins. We praise him for his grace and our salvation. As if he has not done enough, through His generous gifts and atonement, He "daily bears our burdens." Day in, day out, He is there to help us to fight the trials and tribulations. Yet, another reason to give him praise.
Gracious God, we give thanks for your grace in its many forms. We know we have not, nor cannot, do anything to earn this grace; it is given freely in love. Please help us today to remember that love and give you the praise you rightly deserve. Amen.
Blessings,
Pastor Tim
