The Rocks Will Cry Out: When You Can’t Not Praise God
Sometimes what God has done in our lives is so completely worthy of praise, but we don’t notice it, and we miss the opportunity for sweet worship with the Lord. Not today. Today we’re going to take time to notice and praise God.
We sat at a rare dinner out, the three of us eager to tell the others what was going on in our lives. I started and wasn’t more than a sentence in when my 10-year-old niece said, “I have something to say.”
“Just a minute. When I’m finished,” I replied. I went on, gushing about what God was doing in my life.
Then her other aunt started talking, explaining what she had prayed for and how God had answered.
“Is it my turn yet?” Isabella asked. “Because I want to tell you about my report.”
“We’re almost done,” one of us said. She might have rolled her eyes and let out a big sigh that blew wisps of hair off her forehead.
Eventually, it was her turn. “Finally!” she exclaimed. “I’ve been waiting forEVer,” and she launched into an enthusiastic explanation of her school report and what she had discovered in her research. Had we not let her talk at that point, she would have burst in, unable to contain herself any longer.
Have you ever felt that way with God? Unable to contain your praise because of all He’s done?
Well, it’s time to get your worship on and praise God this week, even if you have to grope through some dark moments to find the praiseworthy nugget.
Sometimes what God has done in our lives is so completely worthy of praise, but we don’t notice it, and we miss the opportunity for sweet worship with the Lord. Not today. Today we’re going to take time to notice and praise God.
Our Bible reading for today takes us back to Palm Sunday. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a colt of a donkey, the people shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” (John 12:13).
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out” (Luke 19:39-40).
Now, it wasn’t that Jesus was saying the stones would actually come alive and shout with conscious praise (see the Extra Info below). Rather He was saying, “Don’t you get it? They have to praise me. They have recognized the significance of me riding into Jerusalem on a never-before-ridden colt, what it really means, and they cannot contain their joy!”
Even if, especially if, you are going through a rough patch today, find it: Find the reason to praise God. Then praise Him with all you have left in you, and see if it doesn’t make you feel better.
What has God done in your life that is worthy of praise?
Digging into God’s Word: When You Can’t Not Praise God
I know you’ve sung your Easter songs and put the plastic eggs away until next year, but now that the hustle and bustle is over, you can really relish these moments that occurred on Palm Sunday. Let God’s Word fill you with hope, because you know the end of the story! Catch Jesus’ reference to stones in the very last verse of today’s reading.
Luke 19:28-40 (ESV)
The Triumphal Entry
28 And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” 32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
Digging Deeper: When You Can’t Not Praise God
Enjoy this time with the Lord. Reflect on or journal about the following questions, listening for what God has to say to you.
1. What if you don’t feel like praising? Some days life is so hard that praise is the last thing we want to do. We feel like we have little to be thankful for. Although the two are closely intertwined, praise can be distinguished from thanksgiving. Think of praise as saying back to God who He is. “I praise you for your faithfulness. I praise you that you are holy and true. You are my rock and my salvation.” If you’re struggling to praise today, open up your Bible or Bible app to Psalm 147 and read it out loud. Let it remind you who God really is.
2. Go ahead and give thanks! What are you thankful for today? Take time to quiet your soul and let God bring to mind the things He has done in your life. Do any surprise you? Thank and praise God for all He is and all He is doing in your life and the lives of people around you.
3. It’s time to get your worship on! Choose one or all of the songs to listen to, or come back to these songs throughout the week. They are sure to lift your spirits!
Beautiful Day (Jamie Grace) Seriously, you can dance to this one!
This Is Amazing Grace (Phil Wickham)
The One Who Saves (Hillsong)
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Extra Info: Would Stones Really Cry Out?
It’s not that God couldn’t cause stones to cry out. In fact, God uses creation in amazing ways in the Bible. When Jesus breathed His last on the cross, the earth quaked. But in today’s passage, which recounts the events of Palm Sunday, Jesus is speaking proverbially.
From Barnes’ Notes on the Bible:
“The sense is, that his coming was an event of so much importance that it ‘ought’ to be celebrated in some way, and ‘would’ be celebrated. It would be impossible to restrain the people, and improper to attempt it. The language here is strong proverbial language to denote that fact. We are not to suppose, therefore, that our Saviour meant to say that the stones were ‘conscious’ of his coming, or that God would ‘make’ them speak, but only that there was ‘great joy’ among the people; that it was ‘proper’ that they should express it in this manner, and that it was not fit that he should attempt to repress it.”
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Find Past Series
You can find Past Devotions from other series on the website under the Devotions menu or at www.diggingdeeperwithgod.com/past-devotions/.
Two of the most popular have been Hope Springs Eternal and All In: A Study of Elisha.
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Free Printable on Psalm 103
A few weeks ago, we finished a series on Leaving a Legacy, which focused on living out the characteristics that God models for us in Psalm 103. For a printable on What Psalm 103 Tells Us About God, click this link:
What Psalm 103 Tells Us About God
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It was also a reference made by HIM to what the Pharisees would have surely known.
In Joshua 24, before Joshua passes away, he gathers the 12 tribes together and:
25 On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws. 26 And Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak near the holy place of the LORD.
27“See!” he said to all the people. “This stone will be a witness against us. It has heard all the words the LORD has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue to your God.”
HE was echoing the words of Joshua that if the people did not give HIM worship and were quiet as HE rode past, the stone(s) would be a witness against them.
The Pharisees would certainly have known what HE meant. HE was reminding them yet again that HE and GOD were ONE of which we know they did not like.
Yes! Those who studied the Torah and writings as much as the Pharisees would have known that exact reference right away and would have known Jesus was declaring Himself to be YHWH. To be Echad, one. The Bible is full of these amazing connections. It had hyperlinks before hyperlinks were a thing!
It is in our PRAISE and WORSHIP that our Savior breaks our chains and heals us and refreshes and delivers us!!!! It is in his PRESENCE that he comes in flooding us with his love and filling us with his sweet Holy Spirit. I am so grateful for the relationship I have with Jesus, it is a love like no other.
Phil.4:4-7
REJOICE in Him always, again I say “Rejoice!!”
Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
Kim Walker-Smith just dropped a new album called Wild Heart. The opening track is called “Stones”, which is what led me here today. This is such an awesome explanation, and the hyperlink mentioned in the comments is strong supporting evidence that Jesus always had a meaning behind His words. I highly recommend you check out this song at the end of this study. You can’t help but praise!
“I will praise you, something in me has to. I won’t let the stones cry! I won’t let the stones cry out!”
Praises unto you Oh Mighty Lord… You deserve all Oh God. Your praises would never seize on my lips
“Sing unto the LORD!.. a New Song!” I Love this site! NO rocks are going to Sing for Me!
Our vision at first goes to stones becoming animated, maybe even growing faces and singing praises to God! Most feel the verse is proverbial rather than literal, but what happens when we can praise and choose to not praise, then what? We think of rocks speaking, but what if we are already hearing them? What if they cry out through explosions from volcanoes? Or earthquakes such as mentioned in diverse places? Or meteors crashing to earth? Or landslides? We think of God speaking in English or a heavenly language, but what about groanings??? Just something to think about!!
And ,as time passed, Mary said to her husband Joseph, come we must journey to the mountains to visit my cousin Elisabeth for I know she is with child as am I.
And so they made the long journey to the mountains and when Mary approached to her cousin , Elizabeth said, in great surprise, how is it that the mother of our savior comes to me? And she said to Mary the moment you approached the baby in my womb leapt for joy! And they knew the baby Elisabeth carried was ,indeed, to be known as John the Baptist, the herald of the Messiah.
What a beautiful joyous union that Mary and Elisabeth were privileged to share and so we also may revel in their happiness and be thankful for their shared humility.
There are a couple ways to read the statement, most read it metaphorical. Meaning, Jesus meant, “If these people don’t then the stones will be forced to cry out who I am.” However, the same phrasing can be taken to mean, “Regardless of whether these people praise the stones will cry out who I am.” I believe Jesus meant that regardless of whether people worshipped or not the stones will cry out. If that is the case then Jesus was more likely referring to the earthquakes that would happen both upon is crucifixion (Matt. 27.54), and his resurrection (Matt. 28.2). These were not merely creation responding to events. Or signs from God. Both the death and resurrection earthquakes reflect Jesus powerful descent to Sheol to declare victory over death, (1 Pet 3.18-19), and then his his glorious ascent from Sheol when his body was resurrected in which he was declared the son of God by his life (Rom. 1.4). Scripture attests that in both events he was declared the Son of God. The stones did cry out and everyone in Jerusalem heard them. If that is the case, the Jesus is saying in fact to the Pharisees – It doesn’t matter if you try to stop this praise, something greater than these will declare who I am!
HALLELUJAH! YES THAT’S TRUE! AND REALLY TIMELY MESSAGE OF OUR GOD, THROUGH HIS WORD REVELATION TO ME, THROUGH DAY AND NIGHT , OPEN VISIONS. OUR GOD, JESUS MEANT FOR HIM TO MAKE THE ROCKS CRY OUT, WHEN HIS DISCIPLES AND PEOPLE WILL NOT PRAISE HIM, OR WILL GOING TO STOP PRAISING HIM, HALLELUJAH! LUKE 19, AMEN, THIS WAS AND IS MY CALLING EVERSINCE, THAT FOR THE BODY OF CHRIST TO KEEP ON PRAISING HIM, WHILE THIS WAS ALSO WITH INTENSE CALLING AND COMMANDMENTS I RECEIVED LAST FEW MONTHS OF 2023. THUS, OUR 24/7 PRAYERS IN THE GATES OF TIME, AND PRAISE AND WORSHIP WITHOUT CEASING! FOR THIS WAS ALSO REVEALED TO ME, THAT FORCES SHOULD BE BALANCE, MORE AND MUCH FULFILLMENT OF OUR GOD’S GOODNESS EVERYDAY, AND LESS OR NO WORSHIP IN A GIVEN AND SPECIFIC PLACE, THERE WILL BE IMBALANCE THUS WILL CREATE SHAKENINGS AND NATURAL PHENOMENON MANIFESTATIONS, THROUGH EARHTQUAKES AND ALL OTHERS, HALLELUJAH! AMEN. THUS , MY CALLING FOR EVERY NATION , IN THE SEVEN CONTINENTS, LIKE IN CHINA, AND ALL OTHERS,FOR THEIR LEADERS AS THEIR STEWARDS, TO ENCOURAGE THEIR CITIZENRY IN WORSHIP AND GATHERING OF THE BODY OF CHRIST! FOR A NATION IS SO BLESSED WITH GROUPS OF INTERCESSORS AND PRAYERS WARRIORS AND PSALMISTS WITH THEM, FOR THEY WILL BE SAVED IN THE COMING CALAMITIES AND DISASTERS! HALLELUJAH! AMEN.ALSO WHEN ONE SERIES OF SHOWN REVELATIONS TO ME, MANIFESTED AND SEEN IN THE SPIRIT, ABOUT THE HOW TO , OR THE MAKING OF GOD’S ARCHANGELS AND ANGELSM HALLELUJAH! AND THEIR WORKS AND ASSIGNMENTS, WHOM I ALWAYS SHARED EVERYTIME ONLINE, FACEBOOK THEN, AND NOW, THROUGH MY GOOGLE ACCOUNT, mjhsdentila@gmail.com THAT MORE OF THE WORKS OF THE ANGELS AND HIS ARCHANGELS WERE REVEALED TO ME, THROUGH DAY AND NIGHT VISIONS, AND EVEN IN DREAMS WHILE SLEEPING, HELPED A LOT AND FOR SPIRIT LEADING WORKS AND ACTIVITIES AMONG OUR WORLD SUPERPOWER LEADERS, AND GOD’S WILL THROUGH THIS TIMELY DIVINE INTERVENTION OF OUR GOD, AS SPECIFIC, AS CLEAR , AS GOD’S DESIRES EVERYTIME, AND SHARED IT WITH NO HOLDS BAR, STRAIGHT FORWARD AS POSSIBLE. VIS A VIS PHYSICAL CONFIRMATIONS FROM THE SPIRITUAL AND SUPERNATURAL REALMS AND DIMENSIONS. AND ALSO WITH MY DIRECT AND PERSONAL PRAYERS AND INTERCESSIONS WITH OUR NASA SPACE WARRIORS AND HEROES, OUR GOD, ALLOWED ME TO SEE IN THE SPIRITUAL DIMENSIONS, THE WORK OF OUR NASA DART.THAT SPACECRAFT USED TO REDIRECT WHERE SHOWN TO ME AS TWO ARCHANGELS MOVING AND REDIRECTING THE GIANT METEOR SO IT WILL NOT HIT, OR MOVE AWAY FROM EARTH MOVEMENTS AND DIRECTION. ALSO MY QUESTION TO THEM, ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF THE BLACKHOLE IN THE OUTER SPACE AS THE BOTTOMLESS PIT. AND SINCE SATAN WILL BE THERE FOR A MILLENIAL YEARS, COULD THAT BE A POSSIBILITY THAT THOSE STARS THAT WILL BE BIRTHOUT BY THE BLACKHOLE WHILE SATAN IS THERE, ARE HIS MINIONS, THE DEVILS. HALLELUJAH! THAT WAS THE LEADING OF THE RUACH HAKODESH TO ME, THE HOLY SPIRIT OF OUR GOD! AND SOMETIME ALSO THROUGH THE SUPERNATURAL MOVEMENTS OF THE FORCES ON THE HEAVENS AND IN THE EARTH, I WAS SHOWN A NIGHT VISION, WHILE SITTING ON MY DESKTOP , PREACHING ONLINE, OF THAT EGGLIKE SHELL MADE OF WHITE STONES, LIKE THE COLORS OF METEORITES, AND WHEN BROKEN , BIRTHOUT ANGELS, HALLELUJAH! AND MANY MORE SERIES OF REVELATIONS SHOWN TO ME, TO MAKE MY FAITH EVEN HIGHER AND DEEPER, IN THIS COMING TIMESHIFTS, AND GENERATIONS. ALSO DREAMS, WHILE SLEEPING OF VISITING THE FUTURE WITH TIME MACHINE, EVEN AFTER THE ARMAGEDDON OR SPACE WARS TIME OR PERIOD. VISITED THAT PLACE WITH THEIR LEADER WEARING A WHITE CLOTHING,WITH AN ASTRONAUT TEXTILE GOWN, AND CANE WITH HIM. BUT HIS PEOPLE LIVING THERE IN A CAVE WEARING ANIMALS SKIN CLOTHING. THAT WAS A PERIOD OF THE FUTURE, WHERE SPACE WARS KEEP ON GOING, WITH MORE ADVANCE MILITARY MACHINERIES, MORE WITH FLYING OBJECTS, BUT THE PEOPLE LIVE IN A CAVE PERIOD OR TIME. FARMING AND FISHING AND HUNTING ANIMALS FOR FOOD WERE THERE SOURCES. THEY LIVE IN CAVES, JUST ABOVE THE CREEKS, LOW RIVER, AND VISITED THAT PLACE ALSO PASSING BY THE CREEK AND BY THE BAMBOO STAIRS, OR ROAD.GOING UP! AM SEARCHING THEN, FOR SOMEONE OR SOMEBODY IN MY FAMILY, AND PLAN TO SETTLE THERE. BUT NONE OF THEM. SO I TALKED WITH THEIR LEADER THAT I HAVE TO TRAVEL AGAIN, THROUGH THE TIME MACHINE, GOOD FOR TWO, AM TRAVELLING WITH MY DAUGHTER SHEENA KAYE.SEARCHING FOR MY TIMELINE, PERIOD AND GENERATION, WHERE MY FAMILY, MY PARENTS AND SIBLINGS ARE THERE. THEIR LEADER TOLD ME THAT THEY NEVER STOP WATCHING AND IN THEIR VIGILANCE FOR THE COMING OF THEIR ENEMIES, MORE IN SPACESHIPS! HALLELUJAH! THEN I WAKED UP 🙂 WHAT A DREAM, HALLELUJAH! AMEN. THOUGH FOR HOW MANY TIMES , AM TRAVELLING WITH TIME MACHINE IN DIFFERENT SCENES. OUR GOD INTERVENTION BEFOREHAND IN THE SUPERNATURAL REALMS AND DIMENSIONS, MADE ME UNDERSTAND DEEPER AND HIGHER , BIBLICAL STAGES,EPOCHS AND PERIOD, TIMESHIFTS AND CHANGE OF ATMOSPHERE, THROUGH DREAMS, WHILE SLEEPING, WITH TIME MACHINES. ALSO FUTURE THINGS AND SCENES, FLYING VEHICLES WITH THE ROAD ABOVE AND SKYHIGHWAYS!AND MANY MORE , EVEN PARANORMAL, HALLELUJAH! ALL GLORY TO GOD, WHO SITS ON HIS THRONE FROM EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING! AMEN.AM ALWAYS YOUR BELOVED SISTER IN CHRIST, REV. DR. MARY JANE HD SISON-ENTILA , 05 MACOPA ST. JITCHRIST TRAINING CENTER, BARANGAY DADIANAGS NORTH, GENERAL SANTOS CITY, 9500, PHILIPPINES LANDLINE #083-305-2087
Heard a testimony that I liked. Outside the city wall of Jerusalem nearby along the road where Jesus was traveling there are numerous graves & tombs. The testimony is that when this person was actually walking this road in Jerusalem, they thought “Jesus is not referring to gravel or blocks of stone, but rather, the souls of those believers who are at rest here”. I sort of like that. Hope you do too.