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This Week’s Devotional Topic
PRAISE AND WORSHIP
These concepts go together like white on rice, seasoning: salt & pepper, a breath, to inhale and exhale. And the pages of scripture are filled with examples, descriptions and instructions regarding both Praise to God and Worship of God. Here are just a few reminders of the place of Praise and Worship in our lives.
Praise and Thanksgiving
We praise God for Who He is.
Psalms 150:1-6 Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!
We praise Him for His attributes.
Psalm 111:1-10 Praise the LORD! I will thank the LORD with all my heart as I meet with his godly people. How amazing are the deeds of the LORD! All who delight in him should ponder them. Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty. His righteousness never fails. He causes us to remember his wonderful works. How gracious and merciful is our LORD! He gives food to those who fear him; he always remembers his covenant. He has shown his great power to his people by giving them the lands of other nations. All he does is just and good, and all his commandments are trustworthy. They are forever true, to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity. He has paid a full ransom for his people. He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever. What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has! Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever!
We praise and thank Him for the relationship He has with us.
Psalms 100:1-5 A Psalm for giving thanks. Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
And we are to Worship God
As Moses climbed Mount Sinai…
Exodus 34:5-8 Then the LORD came down in a cloud and stood there with him; and he called out his own name, Yahweh. The LORD passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The LORD! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations.” Moses immediately threw himself to the ground and worshiped.
God alone is worthy of our worship. Look first at the temptation of Christ
Matthew 4:8-10 Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.” “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the LORD your God and serve only him.’”
Mark 12:29 Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’
One of the ways we worship God is with our offerings.
II Chronicles 29:11 “My sons, do not neglect your duties any longer! The LORD has chosen you to stand in his presence, to minister to him, and to lead the people in worship and present offerings to him.”
Our attitudes and actions accompanying our praise and worship include: bowing prostrate and raising our hands and in prayer and of course singing and making melody in our hearts.
Praising and worshiping God is that absolute most important investment we can make with the time and abilities He blesses us with.
This week’s Scripture:
Psalms 150:1-6; Psalm 111:1-10; Psalms 100:1-5; Exodus 34:5-8; Matthew 4:8-10; Mark 12:29 and II Chronicles 29:11
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