PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Psalm 148
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“His splendor is above the earth and the heavens.” (Psalm 148:13)
This psalm reminds me of Genesis 1, where we find the original ‘order of worship’.
Behind and before everything that exists – above, below, and all around – is God.
Every part of creation is made ‘very good’, to reflect back God’s glory.
Everything is charged (energized) with ‘The Grandeur of God’ (G.M.Hopkins).
It seems to me that we have reduced worship to a specific time and activity.
Worship is what we do on Sundays when we gather, usually through music and song.
But the universe is a concert of praise, and constant worship service.
And yet we often miss it, we do not recognize God’s presence and power.
Worse, we ‘sear’ and ‘blear’ and ‘smear’ it away (Hopkins).
It seems to me that I can’t worship on Sunday if I don’t worship Monday through Saturday.
How can I express the greatness and goodness of God, if I am not experiencing it?
How can I respond to the majesty and mercy of God, if I am not recognizing it?
Every day of my life I can join the concert of praise, the daily worship service.
Will I answer this call to worship with my whole heart and my whole life?
PRAYER
Lord, when I become aware of you in the moment, I can feel the pulse of your presence, and my heart stirs with praise. Help me to experience this more often!
All there is – is there because of God! Let all there is worship and praise Him! Lord let my whole being praise you: my mind- my thoughts and reasoning; my heart and emotions-my senses aroused in praise; my strength- my hands and feet and body engaged in service to bless my God and my fellow man; my voice- in song and words of praise! Let all my being praise you my God and my Redeemer! Let all that is praise Him – for He alone is worthy of praise!
This is my Father’s world.
I need to have open eyes and open ears to see His presence everywhere.
All this is possible when I have an open heart.
Today is set aside to worship Him
but that worship needs to be done every day
by serving Him with my words and deeds in this His world.
In the stars His handiwork I see
On the winds, He speaks of majesty
Though He ruleth over land and sea
What is that to me
I will celebrate nativity
For it has its place in history
Sure He came to set His people free
What is that to me
Till one day I met Him face to face
And I sought the wonder of His grace
Then I knew that He was more than
Just a God who didn’t care
That lived away up there, and
Now He walks beside me day by day
Ever watching o’er me lest I stray
Helping me to find that narrow way
He’s everything to me