Read Psalm 95:1-4. 1Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! 2Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! 3For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. 4In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. 5The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.
Psalm 95 doesn’t describe the only appropriate way to come before God (yes, we can come in silence and in stillness), but it does describe a way that we all must find possible in our hearts – the way of exuberant joy.
The psalmist is inviting us to join him in this place, leaving behind our apathy and distractions, and running head first into praise. Not forced praise (as we so often hear from the modern worshiper leader), but the natural praise that comes as we contemplate the greatness of God, the King above all gods.
In the New Testament, Jesus is crowned as the Lord that we sing praises to, the great God who made all things (Col. 1; Heb. 1), the King that we bow down to (Phil. 2). And to live is Christ supplies the power for this praise.
In Christ we not only have a Lord, God, and King ABOVE us, but a Lord, God, and King WITHIN us. What does this mean? It means that our joyful praise isn’t something we simply muster up as a duty; it is something placed within us. It is natural to us and becomes instinctual as we learn to trust in its power.
Christ’s songs of praise to the Father were always in his heart and on his lips. Today Jesus is both the worshipped and the worshiper, the worshiper who is not ashamed to join us in the spiritual sanctuary singing praise to our great God (Heb. 2:11-12).
Let his Spirit guide you into this place of worship as you long to meet Jesus there. And may we never be ashamed to join Jesus there, in the exuberant praise of our good God.
You: Do you find exuberant praise difficult? Easy? Why?
You in Christ: How does contemplating your union with Christ increase your joy?
Christ in you: Spend some time in joyful praise to God today.
Pray: Jesus, bring me into your sanctuary of joyful praise today. Amen.
To Live is Christ 