GOD’S WORD FOR SEPTEMBER 21 ~ ~ 1 Chronicles 16:29~ ~ “Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth;”
From the book “We Shall See God”
SPURGEON:
Have you ever heard the sea roar? Have you ever walked by the seaside when the waves were singing and when every little pebble-stone turned choir member to make up music to the Lord God of hosts? Have you ever heard the sea roar out His praise, when the winds were reveling—perhaps singing the funeral lament of mariners, wrecked far out on the stormy deep, but far more likely exalting God with their hoarse voice?
Have you ever heard the rumbling and booming of the ocean on the shore when it has been lashed into fury and has been driven upon the cliffs? If you have, you have a faint idea of the melody of heaven. It is like “the voice of many waters.” (Revelation 14:2)
But do not suppose that this is the whole of the idea. It is not the voice of one ocean but the voice of many that is needed to give you an idea of the melodies of heaven. You are to suppose ocean piled upon ocean, sea upon sea—the Pacific piled upon the Atlantic, the Arctic upon that, the Antarctic higher still—and so ocean upon ocean, all lashed to fury and all sounding with a mighty vice the praise of God. Such is the singing of heaven.
Or if the illustration fails to strike, take another—the mighty falls of Niagara. They can be heard at a tremendous distance, so awesome is their sound. Now suppose waterfalls dashing upon waterfalls, Niagaras upon Niagaras, each of them sounding forth their mighty voices, and you have got some idea of the singing of Paradise.
“I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters.” Can you not hear it? AH! If our ears were opened, we might almost perceive the song. I have thought sometimes on summer evenings, when the wind has come in gentle breezes through the forest, you might almost think it was the floating of some stray notes that had lost their way among the harps of heaven and come down to us to give us some faint fore-taste of that song which sounds out in mighty peals before the throne of the Most High.
But why so loud? The answer is because there are so many there to sing. Nothing is more grand than the singing of the multitudes. Many have been the persons who have told me that they could but weep when they heard you sing in this assembly, so mighty seemed the sound when all the people sang, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow,”
And, indeed, there is something very grand in the singing of multitudes. I remember hearing twelve thousand sing on one occasion in the open air. Some of our friends were then present when we concluded our service with that glorious halleluijah. Have you ever forgotten it? It was indeed a mighty sound; it seemed to make heaven itself ring again.
Think, then, what must be the voice of those who stand on the boundless plains of heaven and with all their might shout, “To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” (Revelation 5:13).
ALCORN:
Spurgeon called upon his people to remember times of singing powerful songs to God, perhaps on those occasions when thousands gathered together and lifted their voices to the Lord in unbridled praise. Have you experienced such times of corporate praise in your life? I have.
Most people know that we’ll worship God in heaven. But many of us don’t grasp how thrilling that will be. Multitudes of God’s people—of every nation, tribe, people and language—will gather to sing praise to God for His greatness, wisdom, power grace and mighty work of redemption (Revelation 5:13-14)
Overwhelmed by His magnificence, we will fall on our faces in unrestrained happiness and say, “Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 7:12)
People of the world are always striving to celebrate—they just lack ultimate reasons to do that (and therefore find lesser reasons). As Christians, we have those ultimate reasons—our relationship with Jesus and the promise of heaven. “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.” (Revelation 21:3). Does this excite you? If it doesn’t, you’re not thinking correctly.
We’ll never lose our fascination for God as we get to know Him better. The thrill of knowing Him will never subside. To imagine that worshiping God could be boring is to impose on heaven our bad experiences of so-called worship. Satan is determined to make church boring, and when it is, we assume heaven will be also. But church can be exciting, and worship exhilarating. That’s what it will be in heaven. We will see God and understand why the angels and other living creatures delight to worship Him.
Theologian Sam Storms writes: “we will constantly be more amazed with God, more in love with God, and thus ever more relishing His presence and our relationship with Him. Our experience of God will never reach its consummation…it will deepen and develop, intensify and amplify, unfold and increase, broaden and balloon.”
Christ’s desire for us to see His glory should touch us deeply. What an unexpected compliment that the Creator of the universe has gone to such great lengths, at such sacrifice, to prepare a place for us where we can behold and participate in His glory.
Will we ever tire of praising Him? Augustine writes, “As there is nothing greater or better than God Himself, God has promised us Himself. God shall be the end of all our desires, Who will be seen without end, loved without tediousness, and praised without weariness.”
Psalm 150
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty expanse.
Praise Him for His mighty deeds;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.
Praise Him with trumpet sound;
Praise Him with harp and lyre.
Praise Him with tambourine and dancing;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flute.
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with resounding cymbals.
Everything that has breath shall praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!
Who is like You among the gods, Lord? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working wonders?
You who ride on white donkeys, You who sit on rich carpets, And you who travel on the road—shout in praise!
Therefore I will give thanks to You, Lord, among the nations, And I will sing praises to Your name.
Be exalted, Lord, in Your strength; We will sing and praise Your power.
From You comes my praise in the great assembly;