May 2, 2011

Psalm 96 (Click to see scripture)

Bible in One Year Passages:
Mark 10:1-16, 2 Corinthians 1:12-24, 1 Samuel 3-4

Journal Entry

Scripture

"Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods. (vv.1-4) ... Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength! Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts! Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!" (vv. 7-9)

Observation

As this psalmist recognizes God's holiness and His great power, he invites all people to give praise to the Lord and worship Him. Greatness demands a response. There is a direct relationship between our worship and the greatness of God. These two things are inextricably tied. There is a direct relationship between how we think about the greatness of God and how we express our worship to God. The greatness of God demands a response. If we start thinking (about God), we start thanking. When we let our minds dwell on the greatness of God, we cannot just sit still, but to sing and shout our praises unto Him. There is no way that we can sit in front of the great God and stay unmoved. Worship is our response to the greatness of God.

Application

When my mind dwells on the greatness of God, my heart naturally responds in worship. When I think about His great works, I cannot help but to sing praises unto Him. On the other hand, I struggle to worship God when my mind dwells on the greatness of my problems ... when my mind is cluttered with the things of the world instead of the things of God. How much do I desire to see the hands of God upon my life on a daily basis! When I see His great works in my life, how can I not praise Him?

Prayer

Lord, as I think about you this morning, I give you thanks. As I think about how you've loved me and saved me, I want to sing and shout praises to you with my heart for all that you are and all that you have done in my life. Lord, let my heart be filled with passion as I think about you. As I start a new day, I want to sing to you a new song. I want to ascribe to you humbly in worship. May my mind be filled with the greatness of You throughout the day today. In Jesus' name, Amen.

--Stephen Han