Great and Greatly To Be Praised

One of the most meaningful things about worship for me is the music. I think music must be the universal language, because every world culture has been found to produce some form of music. Have you ever wondered why this is so? Did our great Creator God give us some precious gift in our DNA that causes us to create music? We’ll find out someday, in our eternal home which, I am convinced, will be filled with the most celestial of hymns praising God and the Lamb. (Revelation 5:9.)

To say that God is Great and greatly to be praised was a no brainer for King David. He had experienced first-hand the majesty of Jehovah and of His power over the enemies of Israel. This psalm, in fact, echoes the longer song of praise and thanksgiving that David sang as the ark of God was returned to Jerusalem after having been kept safe for three months at the house of Obed-Edom. (I Chronicles 15:12.) David compares the God of Israel to the pagan gods who were nothing more than idols of wood and stone. He admonishes all the nations to give to God “the glory due His name” and to “tremble before Him.”

Once, in a worship service, I sang a praise hymn that extolled God as Great and greatly to be praised. It had one of those simple melodies that are so easily stuck in the head, and I sang that song and hummed it for weeks after the service. It was and continues to be a blessing to my heart. I hope that God likes to hear me sing, even though my voice has lost its luster with age. I love to sing praises to our great God, and I look forward with great anticipation to be singing amazing hymns of worship when I get to heaven. Will you be singing with me? I hope so.

Prayer: Oh Lord, you are indeed Great and greatly to be praised. Thank you for the gift of music with which we can honor you and be blessed in that, as well. Amen.

Challenge: Read Psalm 96:1-9.