May 18, 2015
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

Praise Big!

Please see the links to our EXTRA Bible Study notes at the bottom of the page.

Opening Prayer

Father, today, with the help of the Holy Spirit, may I pray sincerely and praise You joyfully.

Read 2 Samuel 7:18-29

[18] Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said: “Who am I, Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? [19] And as if this were not enough in your sight, Sovereign LORD, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant-and this decree, Sovereign LORD, is for a mere human! [20] “What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, Sovereign LORD. [21] For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant. [22] “How great you are, Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. [23] And who is like your people Israel-the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt? [24] You have established your people Israel as your very own forever, and you, LORD, have become their God. [25] “And now, LORD God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised, [26] so that your name will be great forever. Then people will say, ‘The LORD Almighty is God over Israel!’ And the house of your servant David will be established in your sight. [27] “LORD Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you.’ So your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. [28] Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your covenant is trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant. [29] Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, Sovereign LORD, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever.”

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

We need a greater appreciation in our lives for all the blessings and challenges that help us grow.

On that day, David went in to sit before the Lord to worship. After all, God had promised to give him an eternal family and to keep one of his descendants reigning over Israel forever. Recall that the king had brought the Ark of the Covenant, God’s portable temple sheltered in a tent of black goat’s hair, to Jerusalem and put it in his own back yard. David’s love for God’s special presence in the tabernacle survived the incident in which God struck Uzzah for preventing the ark from crashing to the ground.

This was no ordinary promise. David responded to God, “This decree, Sovereign Lord, is for a mere human!” (19), by which he meant “for mankind.” This charter for humanity would stand throughout the ages. It centers Israel and their Messiah as the hope of the world. In its message, one of David’s descendants would rule all of the earth, Jews and Gentiles, forever.

Big promises deserve big praise. David’s response to God’s promise is rooted in hope for the future of all humanity. But David’s praise also models a correct response to God’s goodness in our individual lives. This is personal worship. Worship, simply defined, is taking God seriously by treating God like he is there. Because he is there, he hears us and acts on our behalf when we come to him with our needs. We do not deserve the blessings that God sends our way. And the sufferings that are part of our lives in this sin-cursed world become God’s theater for deliverance. The question is, are we watching God’s theater or participating in it? Worship is not for spectators but for those who are willing to engage God personally and dependently. Those who do will praise big.

Apply

Reflect on the ways that God has provided for you and protected you. Now praise him in proportion to your abundance.

Closing prayer

Father, as I sit before You and consider how You have blessed me, I thank You for Your kindness and praise You for Your greatness.

Click here to sign up to receive the EXTRAs via email each quarter.

© 2024 Scripture Union U.S.A. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited.

Encounter with God is published in the USA under license from Scripture Union England and Wales, Trinity House, Opal Court, Opal Drive, Fox Milne, Milton Keynes, MK15 0DF.

View all readings

Get ENCOUNTER:

in your email:

in Print:

Become a Member | Visit our store