Psalm 96:1-9

“For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.” vss. 4-5

The psalmist was aware of all the other gods that were worshipped in his area of the world, every city had a multitude of temples, and hundreds of priests. But the psalmist knew that this was all just a show–all these gods had been crafted from stone or wood, and their priests made a good living off all the offerings brought by the people.

The Lord didn’t live in a temple made by human hands. The Lord had brought the entire universe into existence and had breathed life into all living things. No wonder there were priests and Levites in the temple day and night offering praise and thanksgiving on behalf of all the people. There was no place in the heavens or on the earth where God was not.

We continue to worship the Lord of the universe, and now, with our advanced knowledge of its age and composition, our awe is only increasing. Our God is greater than can even be imagined, and the more we know, the greater is our adoration of God’s presence. No wonder we keep on singing hymns and songs and gathering for worship. Awesome is not a word to be used lightly or superficially, but surely we will have to confess that the Lord our God is an Awesome God!

Thought for the Day: What words do I use to describe God?