Praise the Lord, my soul. Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. (Psalm 104:1-4; 24-35)
How has God acted in your life to cause you to come in to know Him in a way you had not before? What was your response to Him? When we come to know God, we often encounter him in such a way that immediately evokes a response of awe and humility, making us conscious of our sin. The only thing we can do is obey God, which translates into worship.
When we come to know God, His nature, His character, and how He has acted and continues to act in this world and in our lives, the only thing we can do is offer our lives in obedience and praise. Worship is the only response to knowing God. When we know God, we trust God. When we trust God, we obey God. When we obey God, we worship God.
Psalm 104:1-4 has been referred to as “Genesis set to music”. The psalm was written to display the great power of Yahweh as Creator and Sovereign over all of creation – a power that surpasses that of any false gods of pagan nations. The psalmist spoke with the understanding and expression of one who truly knows God. The outward expression of this knowledge led the psalmist to offer worship as a natural response to all God is and all that He has done.
In Psalm 104:1, the psalmist’s contemplation of God’s heavenly splendor and majesty stirs an inmost praise causing him to start the psalms with “Praise the Lord, my soul”. In Psalm 104:24-30, the psalmist’s contemplation of God’s creative wisdom and earthly providence stirs an inmost praise in Him. In Psalm 104:31-35, the psalmist’s contemplation of God’s unlimited power stirs an inmost joyful praise.
Splendor, majesty, wisdom, providence and powerful …. those are just a few descriptions of our amazing God that led the psalmist to joyous praise. For joyous praise to well up in the psalmist contemplation, observation and trust in who God is had to occur first. Are you experiencing joyous praise in your life and if not, what is keeping you from experiencing joyous praise? Is it busyness, dwelling on your circumstances or lack of faith that keeps you from joyous praise?
Take time to observe God’s splendor and majesty in creation. Take time for silence and solitude to quiet your mind so you can reflect on God’s faithfulness and goodness in your life. Take time to be in God’s Word and take Him at His word. He is who He says He is. As I am growing to know who God is, I am learning He is abundantly generous in displaying His love, provision, power and majesty all around me.
Edna Lee
