When I stood on the rim of the Grand Canyon a few years ago, I felt awe rising up from the depths of my heart: “Wow!” “Awesome!” “Such Beauty!” Just the way the Sun’s rays are lighting those rocks around the canyon is worth the trip.
Then I think of how it is going to be when we get to heaven, and we know as we are known, we understand as we are understood, and we will see as He is able to see! From all Near Death Experiences, there is a consensus that no earthly words can describe what He has created for us in our spiritual bodies.
Beauty, skill, art, overcoming impossible obstacles, all stir something deep within us for expression. It is not enough to behold the beauty of it all. We feel compelled to share it, to express it.
I believe this is what David did continually when he was alone on the hillside tending his sheep. The beauty of the sky, the stars, the breeze blowing through the blades of grass, the water speaking and singing as it flowed down from the mountains above, so clean and refreshing to him and his sheep; all he could do was express it and share it through writing it all down in his Psalms. I am so glad he did so that you and I could join with him in expressing our wonder and awe for all that God has created so well.
Did you know that God dwells in the praises of His people? Psalm 22:3 says He does. Many battles were won by Israel as they played instruments and lifted up their voices in praise to God.
Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with praise for Him flowing up from deep inside. I believe it is my subconscious mind calling to remembrance all He has done for me, causing my spirit man, that never sleeps, to raise its voice in praise to my Lord.
Psalm 149:6-9 says when we praise God from our heart, it releases His Word as a living sword into our spiritual hands, and executes judgement upon God’s and our enemies. Praise is so powerful that Jesus said if children and people stayed quiet, the very rocks would cry out to Him!
Did you know that one of the first songs the church will sing in heaven after He has gathered us all together, will be Revelation 4:11…..
“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created!”
C.S.Lewis explains why God desires our praise.
“The most obvious fact about praise — whether of God or any thing — strangely escaped me. I thought of it in terms of compliment, approval, or the giving of honor. I had never noticed that all enjoyment spontaneously overflow into praise unless (sometimes even if) shyness or the fear of boring others is deliberately brought into check.
I had not noticed either that just as men spontaneously praise whatever they value, so they spontaneously urge us to join them in praising it: “Isn’t she lovely? Wasn’t it glorious? Don’t you think that’s magnificent?” The Psalmist in telling everyone to praise God are doing what all men do when they speak of what they care about.
I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment . . . It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete till it is expressed.”
