Canadian Goose, McLane Creek Nature Trail, Capital State Forest, WA
Praise him with trumpet sound;
praise him with the lute and harp!
Praise him with the timbrel and dance;
praise him with the strings and pipe!
Praise him with sounding cymbals;
praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord! ~ Psalm 150:3-6
The Psalms is the prayer book of Israel, the prayers that Jesus read. They are honest about the human condition, are honest about God, and are honest about our need for God. Often modern readers get turned off on the graphic descriptions of war and hostility in the Psalms, but I recommend reading these ancient prayers in an allegorical or analogical way. For instance each and every one of us; fights a battle if only in our minds and hearts, has to overcome obstacles that seem insurmountable, has to examine our conscience and ask God for forgiveness, and perhaps most of all has a reason to praise our Lord for blessings. The psalms is a great book of prayer that covers almost all conditions of the human experience, so take a minute and let God talk to you in the book of Psalms.