Words Worth Remembering

Praise God with acclamation
And in HIs gifts rejoice.
Each day finds its vocation
Responding to His voice.
Soon years on earth are past;
But time we spend expressing
The love of God brings blessing
That will forever last.

Yet even though I suffer
The world's unpleasantness,
And though the days grow rougher
And bring me great distress,
That day of bliss divine,
Which knows no end or measure,
And Christ who is my pleasure,
Forever shall be mine.

For thus the Father willed it,
Who fashioned us from clay;
And His own Son fulfilled it
And brought eternal day.
The Spirit now has come
To us true faith has given;
He leads us home to heaven.
O praise the Three in One!
LSB 713:5-7

Soon years on earth are past...how soon! And yet, beloved, the time we spend expressing the love of God, the time we spend together in singing His glory and chanting His praises, this brings a blessing that lasts forever. Part of the blessing is that such adoration gives us strength to face the dark days of our lives now in the light of the Unending Day of Christ's Kingdom - as we worship before Him the blessed peace of that endless day floods the inner man and calms us and steels our resolve to face the present darkness with the unshakable hope borne of God's promises. And further, the time we spend expressing God's love in praise and adoration, actually trains us, fits us out for our final and our ultimate vocation, a vocation that will never cease: singing praise to the Blessed Trinity! For now, such praise is fragmentary and weak. In the Age to Come, it will be whole and strong, full-throated and unending.