God’s Word

Psalm 28:6-9 – Blessed be the Lord!
    For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.
7 The Lord is my strength and my shield;
    in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
    and with my song I give thanks to him.
8 The Lord is the strength of his people;
    he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
9 Oh, save your people and bless your heritage!
    Be their shepherd and carry them forever.

Sing Unto the Lord

Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above
Johann J. Schutz

Sing praise to God who reigns above, the God of all creation
The God of power, the God of love, the God of our salvation;
With healing balm my soul he fills, and every faithless murmur stills:
To God all praise and glory.

What God’s almighty power hath made, His gracious mercy keepeth,
By morning glow or evening shade His watchful eye ne’er sleepeth;
Within the kingdom of his might, Lo! all is just and all is right:
To God all praise and glory.

The Lord is never far away, but through all grief distressing,
An ever present help and stay, our peace and joy and blessing;
As with a mother’s tender hand, He leads his own, his chosen band:
To God all praise and glory.

O ye who name Christ’s holy name, give God all praise and glory;
All ye who own his power proclaim aloud the wondrous story!
Cast each false idol from his throne, the Lord is God, and he alone:
To God all praise and glory.
 
Think on These Things

The Lord Reigns

Sovereignty and omnipotence must go together. One cannot exist without the other. To reign, God must have power, and to reign sovereignly, he must have all power… God possesses what no creature can: an incomprehensible plentitude of power, a potency that is absolute. This we know by divine revelation, but once knowing, it is recognized as being in full accord with reason. Grant that God is infinite and self-existent and we see at once that he must be all-powerful as well, and reason kneels to worship before the divine omnipotence.
By A.W. Tozer

Is Your God Too Small?

A popular book came out several decades ago entitled, Your God is Too Small. In it the author addressed a very serious problem of his time, one that remains a vital concern in our day as well. People who do not know much about the God they worship often end up with an idol of their own making, one that does not do justice to the God of Holy Scripture. Even when a person is drawn to a particular attribute of God, but only one, such as God’s love, they still end up fashioning an idol which more resembles the god of greeting cards and well wishes than the God of love revealed in Scripture. We must all ask ourselves, “Is our God too small?”

Questions for Reflection
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1. When you think about God what usually comes to mind?
   
   
2. Read the Scripture and hymn again for this lesson. List all the attributes of God that jump out at you? How are they described?
   
   
3. What do the images of “shield” and “saving refuge” bring to your mind?
   
   
4. What hope, comfort, and encouragement come to you based on the description of God found in the Scripture and hymn?
   
   

Prayer
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God of power, love, and salvation, you are indeed my shield and saving refuge. Where else can I turn but to you, for you alone are sovereign, almighty, and full of love. Please remind me daily to draw close to you and help me learn more about you so I might love you correctly as your child. In Christ’s name, I pray. Amen.

Psalm 10:16 – The Lord is king forever and ever; the nations perish from his land.

Psalm 24:10 – Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory!

Psalm 47:7 – For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm!

Luke 19:38 – “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

1 Timothy 1:17 – To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Revelation 11:15b – “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”

Revelation 17:14 – They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.
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Come, Thou Almighty King
Anonymous

Come, thou almighty King, Help us thy name to sing,
Help us to praise! Father all glorious, O’er all vic -
tortious, Come, and reign over us, Ancient of Days!

Come, thou incarnate Word, Gird on thy mighty sword,
Our prayer attend; Come, and thy people bless, and give thy
Word success; Spirit of holiness, On us descend!

Come holy Comforter, Thy sacred witness bear,
In this glad hour: Thou who almighty art, Now rule in
every heart, And ne’er from us depart, Spirit of power!

To thee, great One in Three, Eternal praises be,
Hence, evermore: Thy sovereign majesty May we in
glory see, And to eternity Love and adore!


His Majesty

Now, majesty is a word which the Bible uses to express the thought of the greatness of God, our Maker and our Lord. “The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty… Your throne was established long ago” (Ps. 93:1-2). “The will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will mediate on your wonderful works” (Ps 145:5).

In Hebrews, the phrase the majesty twice does duty for God; Christ, we are told, at his ascension sat down “at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven,” “at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven” (Heb 1:3; 8:1). The word majesty, when applied to God, is always a declaration of his greatness and an invitation to worship. (J.I. Packer)

Is He Your King?

That’s a bit of misleading question. God, as our Scripture points out, is Lord of lords and King of kings. He is the King of heaven and earth, whether or not we choose to recognize him as such. It’s like gravity; it works whether we acknowledge it or not. God is the rightful King of all there is and, as such, deserves our worship, reverence, and submission. What is so astonishing is we are invited not only to know about this King, but to know him personally. He has told us in his Word that he loves us and cares about us. In fact, he has gone to extreme lengths to enable us to enter into an abundant and eternally lasting relationship with himself. Make no mistake about it, this King is worthy of our worship, indeed of our very lives.

Questions for Reflection

1. How does it make you feel to know the King of the universe loves you and wants to be in a relationship with you?
   
   
2. What would a life lived in submission to this King look like each day?
   
   
3. What hope and encouragement does it bring you to know that the King of kings cares deeply about you?
   
   

Prayer

Great and majestic God, I give you praise and adoration for being my good and loving King. In your grace you have condescended to bring me into a relationship with yourself, even though I do not deserve it. I am humbled by this and offer you my heartfelt gratitude. Please fill me with your presence so I might, in return, live a life of worship that is pleasing in your sight. In Christ’s name I pray. Amen.