Praise God From Whom all Blessings Flow: Spiritual Restoration-Joel 2:28-32

"Praise God from whom all blessings flow; praise Him all creatures here below; praise Him above, ye heavenly host; praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost." These 25 words, known to many around the world today as "The Doxology," comprise what is likely the single best-known verse of all Christian hymnology and poetry. On the surface, these lyrics are surprisingly modest and memorable. Few of us remember first hearing them, and few recall straining to learn them. Yet, as simple and accessible as these first lines are, Christians have been singing them now for more than 3 centuries. Because simple doesn't mean shallow. Plain does not exclude profound. Which is one of the striking truths as the heart of our faith--and one of the great evidences for its truth--from the Gospel of John, to the early creeds, to the most widely known and enduring lyrics we share with the global church today. The greatest realities about God and His world, when understood aright, can be captured in the humblest of terms, even as they are bottomless in their depth. And yet we find an enduring quality in the "The Doxology" absent from many of our passing modern choruses. Substance hides in the brevity and sing ability. Though short, the hymn is a coherent progression, rather than a loosely connected attempt at memorable phrases, and turns on the profound theological truths of God's aseity and generosity, and God as Trinity. In 1674, the English pastor and royal chaplain to Charles II, Thomas Ken penned the plain but profound words to this well-known song. The Scriptures overflow with doxologies, passages that give thanks and ascribe glory and honor to the Lord. While Psalm 19 exalts God's creation and Word, Psalm 29 exalts God's omnipotence, and Psalm 96 His salvation of His people. Ephesians 1:2-14 exalts the Trinity, Ephesians 3:20-21 exalts God's greatness, and Romans 11:33-36 exalts God's superiority. Joel 2:28-32 exalts the role of the Holy Spirit. He is prominent in creation (Gen 1:2), in salvation (Titus 3:5), in spiritual security (1 Sam 16:12-13; Rom 8:16), in spiritual strength (Ezek 2:2), in societal restraint (Gen 6:3; 2 These 2:6), in guiding and sustaining (Ezek 2:3ff; Jn 14:26; 16:13), and in the 2nd Advent of Jesus Messiah (Zech 12:10; 13:1; Ezek 36:22-27). Join us this coming Lord's Day for "Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow: Spiritual Restoration" (Joel 2:28-32).