Glory All the Way
Opening Prayer
Pray for the Lord to give you a sense of his glory and splendor. Sit in his presence as you contemplate his majesty.
Read Psalm 96:1-13
[1] Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. [2] Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. [3] Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. [4] For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. [5] For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. [6] Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary. [7] Ascribe to the LORD, all you families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. [8] Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts. [9] Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth. [10] Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.” The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity. [11] Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. [12] Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. [13] Let all creation rejoice before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness. Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
What are the imperatives (commands) the psalmist gives?Four times we read here of “glory” (3,6,7,8). A word that is closely associated with God, it comes from a Hebrew root meaning “to be heavy.” Yes, God is a heavyweight, someone who seriously counts. From there it develops the meaning of “dazzling brightness.” God’s glory is like a magnificent shining light. In biblical times the glory of the Lord filled his dwelling place, the Temple, a sure sign that he was there (6). Of course, he could depart from the Temple and return (cf. Ezek. 10:18; 43:5). But he graced the nation of Israel with his presence, just as he graces the body of Christ as his temple today (cf. 1 Cor. 3:16,17). The proper response to glory is worship, bowing down before God in praise and adoration (7,8). His is the “wow” factor, and a mere glimpse of his wonder and might is enough to make the jaw drop, incite the tongue to sing, and cause a measure of fear to come over us. Verse 9 advocates “trembling,” which we rarely go in for. Yet it could certainly make a huge difference to our worship!
Apply
Have you perhaps been worshiping a God that is too small? Have you been overlooking signs of the Lord’s greatness?
Closing prayer
“Sing to the Lord a new song” (1), either literally singing or else praising him out loud with spoken words.
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