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1 God rules. On your toes, everybody! He rules from his angel throne - take notice! 2 God looms majestic in Zion, He towers in splendor over all the big names. 3 Great and terrible your beauty: let everyone praise you! Holy. Yes, holy. 4 Strong King, lover of justice, You laid things out fair and square; You set down the foundations in Jacob, Foundation stones of just and right ways. 5 Honor God, our God; worship his rule! Holy. Yes, holy. 6 Moses and Aaron were his priests, Samuel among those who prayed to him. They prayed to God and he answered them; 7 He spoke from the pillar of cloud. And they did what he said; they kept the law he gave them. 8 And then God, our God, answered them (But you were never soft on their sins). 9 Lift high God, our God; worship at his holy mountain. Holy. Yes, holy is God our God. (Psalm 99 The Message)
A blessed and awesome Thursday to you, dear Friend. I pray wonderful blessings upon you and your needs. May this day prepare us to wonderfully serve the Lord. May we continue to lift up those prayer request shared yesterday evening. Pray for one another.
There's a certain portion of the population that has an awe toward the persona of Chuck Norris. For those of you who are not familiar with Mr. Norris, he is an American actor who notably played the character of Walker, Texas Ranger. He played the role so well a mysterious aura grew around him. It is filled with awe and mystery about what and who Chuck is. There is a library of jokes that add to his strength and awesomeness. I heard one, well, one that I can use in this setting. "Did you know Chuck Norris gargles with peanut butter?" And, "Chuck Norris was once bitten by deadly cobra and after several pain-agonizing days, the cobra died." Okay, one more. "They named a street after Chuck Norris but it didn't work because nobody crosses Chuck Norris."
Nothing compares to the awe and wonder we need to have about God The psalmist knew this and wrote about it over and over. He never tired of it nor should we. David's enthusiasm should ignite in us the childlike desire to enter and be completely involved in the worship and praise of God. As a child, my favorite morning of the entire week was Sunday, with Saturday's cartoon lineup a close second. But I could not wait to get to church to see my friends/brothers/sisters in Sunday school, then to be in worship. I'm blessed in that I grew up in that era of Sunday being a day mostly dedicated to God. Our state had the famous blue laws and every Sunday seemed like Christmas days of recent years; everything was closed and nothing competed with the activities of the church. As a result most churches were full. Yes, times changed as did the desires of our hearts and minds and now Sunday is seen like any other day and with it, God seemed to be drifting away in some people's spirits. This version starts off with the proper declaration that nothing can ever change, "God rules." Indeed He does regardless of our opinions or thoughts; God rules. That should help us set the tone for our participation in worship. "This is all about You, loving God!"
The psalmist also says there is no name that compares to God, even if they are "big names." The "big names" should be leading us in worship by their actions and example. Our praise should glorify the God of love and justice. God, in His infinite wisdom laid everything out in His way to bless us. The foundations laid in Jacob were those of "just and right ways." And our worship should reinforce that in our being. We should be in awe as we enter and as we take part in the elevation of God's name. May we never forget about the holiness of God. We are to be reverent and in awe of God. Our worship should be our natural response to the majesty and righteousness of the One who rules over all of us. When we acknowledge God's sovereignty we are blessed with a deeper understanding of our place in God's divine plan.
So, friends, may this psalm prepare us for our day of worship. May we approach every worship space as God's holy mountain and recognize the awesomeness of God's authority, which should mean we approach God with reverence for God is truly holy, righteous, and majestic. Dear one, take a long moment to reflect on your plans for worship. Pray about what God would have you do as your day of worship approaches. May our hearts, minds, and spirits be ready to lift God's name high and in turn, for God to lift our spirits to help us serve Him in spirit and truth.
PRAYER: Loving God, prepare us to praise You. Forgive us for at times wanting to be You as the center of attention of worship. We truly are not worthy of that, but You invite us to be Yours; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Begin now to prepare for awesome worship.
Receive my blessings of joy and peace. I love you and thank God for you!
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
