Psalm 95
We have many reasons to praise God: His Love, Holiness, Justice, and Peace are enough to keep us occupied in praise. Then when we think of all the things He does for us, how could we do anything but praise Him? But it’s possible.
Sometimes in spite of the abundance of God’s grace, we fail to kneel in humble worship or stand and lift our voices in praise.
This is what on the mind of the writer of Psalm 95. This psalm is a call to come to God in worship.
“1 O come, let us sing unto the Lord: Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, And make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.” Psalm 95:1-2
Reasons for Praise
As ever, there are are a multitude of reasons to praise God. The psalmist gives us these as reasons to praise God:
“3 For the Lord is a great God, And a great King above all gods. 4 In his hand are the deep places of the earth: The strength of the hills is his also. 5 The sea is his, and he made it: And his hands formed the dry land.” Psalm 95:3-5
Invitation to Praise
The psalmist then gives an invitation to praise:
“6 O come, let us worship and bow down: Let us kneel before the Lord our maker. 7 For he is our God; And we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand…” Psalm 95:6-7a
This invitation is simple, “Come and worship!”
With all that God has been seen to be and all that He has done this should be the natural response, and for anyone that may not be sure what to do the invitation includes some basic instructions: “worship,” “kneel,” and ”bow down.” This is worship in humility.
Caution Against Hardening Their Hearts
But there is a concern in his mind as he pens these words. Concern for those who may not accept this invitation.
“…To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, And as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9 When your fathers tempted me, Proved me, and saw my work. 10 Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, And said, It is a people that do err in their heart, And they have not known my ways: 11 Unto whom I sware in my wrath That they should not enter into my rest.” Psalm 95:7b-11
Israel had rejected God. He knew their history. God had cared for them in their journey from Egypt to the promised land, but at the entrance to the promised land, they gave into fear and rejected God’s invitation of victory and rest. That whole generation wandered in the wilderness for the rest of their lives and after their death, their children claimed God’s victory.
Application
You and I will find ourselves in different circumstances than these Israelites. However, the truth remains. We may only have today to praise God. We may only have today to walk in faith and not in fear.
Choosing to not praise God for the great things He has done is dangerous. In not praising Him we harden our hearts to the great, faith-building things Has done for us.
Your Turn
Today!
Don’t miss the importance of today. How will you worship and praise God today? How will you choose faith over fear today?
Take up this invitation to worship TODAY.
Get down on your knees and worship God for Who He Is and for all He does.
Then get up and give your voice to praise Him. This doesn’t have to be in a goofy way: tell a family member or friend about some of the ways God has blessed you. Humbly give God all the credit He deserves.
Share this post with others as a reminder of the invitation to Praise and Worship God.
