Word of Encouragement (11/29/2023)
I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. 5 "For the waves of death encompassed me, the torrents of destruction assailed me; 6 the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. 7 "In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I called. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry came to his ears. (2 Sam. 22:4-7)
Now, David moves on to provide the reasons for which he praised God with the various nomenclatures in the preceding verses. This section begins and ends with David calling on the LORD: “I call upon the LORD” (v. 4); “In my distress I called upon the LORD” (v. 7). In between (vv. 5-6), David recounts why he had to call upon the LORD.
First, David begins by affirming that God is worthy to be praised. If this is not a truism, what is? Who is worthier to be praised than God, the Creator and Ruler and Sustainer of all? David will go on to talk about why God is worthy of praise—how He delivered him from devastating troubles. But surely, God is not worthy of praise only for what He has done for us, is He? He is worthy of our praise because of who He is in Himself. When we come upon a breathtaking landscape, we “praise” it with our exclamations for its majesty and beauty, not for the environmental benefits it offers us (not that there aren’t any, but they are not at the forefront of our appreciation). God is the One who created this world in marvelous grandeur and exquisite beauty, which is only a faint reflection of His divine glory. He is matchless in all His perfections, too brilliant even for the pure eyes of the angels in heaven to take in. So, they must hide their eyes with their wings.
When we confess that God is worthy of our praise, it must mean that God ought to be praised at all times. It cannot be just an option; it is mandatory. I dare say that not doing it is the most reprehensible thing we can do. We can say that sin is neglecting our duty to God and others. What is the greatest duty we have as those who are created by God with the special privilege of bearing His image? Is there any duty greater than acknowledging and praising His glory? If so, can there be any sin greater than neglecting this greatest duty of ours for whatever reason? Seen in this light, how terrible is our complaining and grumbling about God and His ways?
On the other hand, what better and nobler use of our minds and hearts can there be than to reflect on the glory of God? We are willing to pay hundreds and thousands of dollars to travel far so we can fill our eyes with something magnificent, be it natural or man-made wonders. What a blessing it is that we can fill the eyes of our minds and hearts with the matchless glory of God—not just His marvelous deeds but also the perfections of His being! I’m not saying that we must lock ourselves in our prayer closet to do this. God has revealed Himself through His creation. When we see the world through the eyes of faith, we can behold His glory, power, wisdom, and beauty. And since He is also the God of providence, we can see His tender care for His people as we go about living our lives with an eye out for the glimpses of His hand of providence at work in our lives and in the world.
Let us acknowledge that our God is worthy of praise and spend some time this morning to praise Him for His glorious perfections—His eternity, infinity, omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience, aseity (self-existence), simplicity, holiness, righteousness, goodness, mercy, love, wisdom, etc.