December 14, 2014
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

Total Praise

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

Opening Prayer

Sovereign Lord, with all that lies within me, I acclaim Your goodness and speak Your praise.

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

“Worship the Lord with gladness: come before him with joyful songs” (Psa. 100:2). Prepare to join the celebration now!

The psalmist invites us to celebrate the God who alone is worthy of praise. The nations are called to join the celebration (7), recognizing the worthless nature of their own objects of worship (5). Creation itself joins in (11-13). Although the language is metaphorical, designed to enhance the impact of the celebration, there is a sense in which creation, by being what it is and fulfilling its God-given purpose, brings glory to God. If humans will not shout God’s praise, creation will (Luke 19:40).

The celebration is grounded in God’s character and God’s activity. God is holy, distinct from his creation, mysterious and untainted by any form of impurity. God is splendid and majestic, glorious and powerful. God is Creator, Savior, King and Judge. We may think of judgment as negative, but there is no hint of that here. Justice is established and this is grounds for rejoicing. We will never fully comprehend such a God, but he is not unknowable; we are invited to come into his courts (8).

The celebration is exuberant, even abandoned. There is little restraint here. Words pour out, there is song, and there are physical responses. But this beautifully crafted psalm also reminds us of the need for order and structure. Worship that truly honors God needs content, creativity and involvement. Sound theological content will give shape and direction to worship, but without engagement of heart and spirit it becomes an academic exercise. Exuberant activity without content becomes self-indulgent and lacks focus. Paul points out that order and the inspiration of the Spirit are not always mutually incompatible (1 Cor. 14:39,40). Our worship is too often impoverished because we fail to appreciate the true nature of God or respond with enthusiasm.

Apply

How might attending to the words of the psalmist affect your worship today?

Closing prayer

Mighty God, let a sense of Your goodness course through every fiber of my being until my lips declare Your praise.

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