Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth!
Worship the LORD with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.
Acknowledge that the LORD is God!
…Give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the LORD is good…
(Montezuma Castle National Park, AZ)
As the light approaches,
the earth takes shape like clay pressed beneath a seal;
it is robed in brilliant colors.
Open my eyes to see
the wonderful truths in your instructions.
I am only a foreigner in the land…
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,”
says the Lord.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways
and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
In times of trouble,
may the LORD answer your cry.
May the name of the God of Jacob
keep you safe from all harm.
I will answer them before they even call to me.
While they are still talking about their needs,
I will go ahead and answer their prayers!
“Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth,
and no one will even think about the old ones anymore.
Be glad; rejoice forever in my creation!
And look! I will create Jerusalem as a place of happiness.
Her people will be a source of joy.
I will rejoice over Jerusalem
and delight in my people.
And the sound of weeping and crying
will be heard in it no more.
And yet, O LORD, you are our Father.
We are the clay, and you are the potter.
We all are formed by your hand.
Oh, that you would burst from the heavens and come down!
How the mountains would quake in your presence!
As fire causes wood to burn
and water to boil,
your coming would make the nations tremble.
Then your enemies would learn the reason for your fame!
When you came down long ago,
you did awesome deeds beyond our highest expectations.
And oh, how the mountains quaked!
for since the world began,
no ear has heard
and no eye has seen a God like you,
who works for those who wait for him!
…Then the LORD my God will come,
and all his holy ones with him.
On that day the sources of light will no longer shine,
yet there will be continuous day!
Only the LORD knows how this could happen.
There will be no normal day and night,
for at evening time it will still be light.
