A CALL TO WORSHIP

I must confess, I get a bit perturbed by those who criticize others for getting exuberant in their worship. They dislike clapping, raising hands, shouting, etc. And they think everyone should do as they do, which is usually just sit and stare. I can’t help but wonder what Bible they’ve been reading! Belittling others for the way they worship is serious and dangerous. Folks like that confuse me. They sing “Shout to the Lord”, but they don’t. They sing, “Lift up holy hands”, but they won’t. They sing the “Amen Chorus”, but they’re quite as a mouse. I just don’t get it. But, here’s something I do get. This article in the daily devotional “A Good Thing” puts it all into perspective:

 

“Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable”– Psalm 145:3

God is great. In fact, He is so great that He deserves our praise. In fact, He deserves praise in proportion to His greatness — because He is so great, He is greatly to be praised.

How great is God? How much and how long is it appropriate for us to continue applauding Him? Does He deserve a half-hearted smattering of acclaim, or a standing ovation? How long should we stand and applaud? Can we quit clapping yet?

The psalmist says, “His greatness is unsearchable!” There is no end to His greatness and so there is to be no end to our ovation.

Does this sound like a long and dull and unfair obligation, or a joyful and fulfilling and wonderful pleasure? If you lean strongly toward the first description, then it means you have lost sight of just how great God is.

When you see how beautiful, how stupendous—how unspeakably august and loving and just and mighty—God is, then unending soul-praise is our inevitable response. Like having your breath taken away by a sunset at sea…or clapping till your hands hurt at the end of an unbelievable stage performance.

Praising God is like that only, the psalmist reminds us, infinitely more and better. Because His greatness is unsearchable: this sunset never ends, this performance goes on forever.

Unsearchably great is the Lord, and so He is unendingly and greatly to be praised. Let the joyful applause begin.

And, I might add–“Never let it end!” Never allow the critics to rob you of your freedom to express your praise for the Lord. His opinion is the only one that matters!