Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above

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
​

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
​
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.