{"id":1238,"date":"2010-08-29T01:49:07","date_gmt":"2010-08-29T01:49:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2010\/08\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-why-do-we-praise-the-lord-1.html"},"modified":"2010-08-29T01:49:07","modified_gmt":"2010-08-29T01:49:07","slug":"sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-why-do-we-praise-the-lord-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/08\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-why-do-we-praise-the-lord-1.html","title":{"rendered":"Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling<\/em>: Why Do We Praise the Lord?"},"content":{"rendered":"
READ Psalm 96:1-13<\/a><\/div>\n
 <\/div>\n

\nGreat is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise!
     He is to be feared above all gods.
\n<\/p>\n

Psalm 96:4<\/a><\/div>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n


<\/em>There
\nare many reasons to praise the Lord. Scripture repeatedly calls us to
\ndo it, so we praise God out of obedience (for example, Psalm 96).
\nPraising the Lord often impacts our own souls. We might begin to praise
\nGod with heavy hearts, for example, but as we praise, we experience a
\nlightening of our burdens and the joy of the Lord. We can choose to
\npraise the Lord, therefore, because of the benefit it brings to us. We
\nmight also praise God because it builds Christian community. When the
\npeople of God gather, focusing their minds and hearts on the Lord,
\nusing their bodies to honor him, they are bound together in a
\nSpirit-created unity. So, a good reason for praising God is that it
\nfosters the community of God’s people. <\/p>\n

Psalm 96:4 gives
\nanother reason for praising the Lord, a bedrock reason based on his own
\nnature: “Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise!” This
\ntranslation captures the essence of this thought, though missing the
\npoetic balance of the classic King James Version: “For the LORD is
\ngreat, and greatly to be praised.” The Hebrew of this verse could be
\ntranslated literally, “For great [is] the Lord and very much to be
\npraised.” <\/p>\n

Psalm 96:4 explains why we should “publish [the
\nLORD’s] glorious deeds among the nations” and “tell everyone about the
\namazing things he does” (96:3). We should praise him, proclaiming his
\nwonders to all people, because the Lord is great. Praise is a response
\nto his superlative character, which is expressed in wondrous works.
\nEven as a brilliant sunset calls forth praise, so it is with God, many
\ntimes over. <\/p>\n

The more we reflect on God’s greatness, the more
\nwe will be impelled to praise him. Moreover, we will find that our
\npraise, however inadequate it might be, will increasingly reflect God’s
\nnature. Because he is great, so our praise will be great. It makes no
\nsense to be stingy in honoring one who is utterly worthy of all honor
\nand praise.<\/p>\n

Practically speaking, as you prepare to worship the
\nLord, remember his greatness. Remember his awesome deeds. Remember his
\nmatchless mercy. Let your praise be a reflection of and response to
\nGod’s greatness. <\/p>\n

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION<\/strong>:
\nWhat helps you to praise God? How does the greatness of God impact your
\nworship? How might Psalm 96:4 impact our corporate and private worship?\n<\/p>\n

PRAYER<\/strong>: O Lord, how great you are! How worthy of praise!<\/p>\n

I see your greatness in the astounding majesty of your creation. How great you are!<\/p>\n

I see your greatness in the history of your salvation. How great you are!<\/p>\n

I see your greatness in the amazing narrative of Scripture, beginning in Genesis and ending in Revelation. How great you are!<\/p>\n

I see your greatness in the ways you have made yourself known to me throughout my lifetime. How great you are!<\/p>\n

I see your greatness in your tenderness and patience, in your grace and mercy, in your forgiveness and love. How great you are!<\/p>\n

I
\nsee your greatness most of all in Jesus Christ, who humbled himself and
\ngave himself for me . . . and for the redemption of all creation. How
\ngreat you are!<\/p>\n

All praise, glory, and honor be to you, O Lord, for you are great, and worthy of all praise. Amen<\/em>. <\/p>\n

_________________________________________________<\/p>\n

\"high-calling-screenshot-4.jpg\"<\/span>Would you like to receive a Daily Reflection like this one in your email inbox each morning?  <\/strong><\/p>\n

Here’s how . . . .<\/em><\/strong>
\nThis devotional comes from The High Calling of Our Daily Work <\/em>(www.thehighcalling.org<\/a>), a wonderful website about work and God<\/em>. You can read my Daily Reflections<\/a> there, or sign up to have them sent to your email inbox<\/a> each day. This website contains lots of encouragement for people who are trying to live out their faith in the workplace.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

READ Psalm 96:1-13   Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise!     He is to be feared above all gods. Psalm 96:4 There are many reasons to praise the Lord. Scripture repeatedly calls us to do it, so we praise God out of obedience (for example, Psalm 96). Praising the Lord often impacts our…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1238","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sunday-inspiration"],"yoast_head":"\nSunday Inspiration from The High Calling: Why Do We Praise the Lord? - Mark D. 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Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1238","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1238"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1238\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1238"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1238"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1238"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}