Monday, January 2, 2017

Praise God for Creation and Worship Him (Psalm 33:1-9)


Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!
Praise befits the upright.
Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.
For the word of the Lord is upright,
and all his work is done in faithfulness.
He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap;
he puts the deeps in storehouses.
Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm (Psalm 33:1-9)

Traditional worship services begin with a “call to worship.” This may simply be a Scripture (often from the Psalms) read from the pulpit. Or it may take the form of a short responsive reading. Typical of the latter is this:

Leader: Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.
People: For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.
All: Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.

The preceding lines, which are Psalm 33:20–22, include the elements of waiting on the Lord, acknowledging his protection, rejoicing and trusting in him, and anticipating his love and mercy. All such elements can play an important part in unifying the congregation to the purpose of worship. We must not forget that we have come to worship, and skilled worship leaders issue this call clearly.

Although the words of Psalm 33 were penned over 2,000 years ago, the purposes of and necessity for worship have not changed. If we let it, Psalm 33 can enliven and focus both our corporate and personal worship. It is often thought that Psalm 33 was used in public assemblies to thank God for a good harvest. While a national celebration of a good harvest may seem odd to those of the modern Western world, where only 2 percent of people live on farms, such a celebration was quite fitting for the ancients. Giving thanks to God is the essence of worship. When we are aware of and grateful for the blessings of adequate provisions for life, it should be natural to direct our gratitude to God. We learn several things about worship from Psalm 33:

I. The Upright Praise Him

A. Use Every Means Necessary to Worship God (vv. 1–3)

Verse 1. Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright.

Verse 2. Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!

Verse 3. Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.


B. In Worship We Acknowledge God's Attributes (vv. 4, 5)

Verse 4a. For the word of the Lord is upright,

Verse 4b. "...and all his work is done in faithfulness."

Verse 5a. He loves righteousness and justice;

Verse 5b. "...the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord."

II. The Psalmist Praises God for His Works

A. Heavens and Their Host (v. 6)

Verse 6. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.

B. Waters of the Sea (v. 7)

Verse 7. He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses.

III. Duties of the Created

A. Who (v. 8)

Verse 8. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!

B. Why (v. 9)

Verse 9. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.

The psalmist finishes this section of Psalm 33 with a return to the most baffling and amazing consideration in all of this: God’s ability to speak creation into existence. Nothing thwarts God’s creative intentions. God speaks, it happens, and it happens in a permanent way. It stands firm. This is not digital creation, but hard and fast reality. We are not independent players in this cosmic drama, but part of God’s plans and purposes. Our role is to recognize, marvel, and submit.

Churches today carefully plan and rehearse their worship times. This is designed to bring believers before the throne of God in a spirit of praise. Such elements undergird Psalm 33 as well.

Underlying this focus, however, is a broader picture of what worship is. God is not to be awe-inspiring only for an hour or two on Sunday morning; he is eternally and always so. A weekend gathering of believers might be a high point in our worship, but it should not be the only worship experience. We can worship when we see God’s activity in a gentle rain or a thundering storm. 

We can worship him when we view a glorious sunset or a clear, starry night. We can worship when we gaze into the eyes of a newborn baby. 

We can worship when we calm our hearts for sleep or when we awaken fresh for a new day. 

We can worship when we remember the many blessings God has laid in the pathways of our lives, or when we consider the many things he has for us in the future (see Ecclesiastes 3:11).

One implication of all these possibilities is that our worship should not be confined to a sanctuary or worship center in a building. By lifting our “worship awareness” to a higher level, we find endless things that point our hearts to the Lord, the maker of the heavens and the earth and the provider of our daily needs.

Look for small worship opportunities as they present themselves to you in the week ahead. When you recognize one, give a smile as an act of joy directed to the Lord, for he alone is worthy of worship. Mouth this simple prayer, “Thank you, Lord, for letting this remind me of you.” When you fill your heart with worship, you will not be disappointed.