CliffsNotes for Worship

August 11

(Psalm 96:1-13 NIV) "Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. {2} Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. {3} Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. {4} For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. {5} For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. {6} Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary. {7} Ascribe to the Lord, O families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. {8} Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts. {9} Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth. {10} Say among the nations, "The Lord reigns." The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity. {11} Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it; {12} let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy; {13} they will sing before the Lord, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth."

CliffsNotes are a set of student guides that condense and summarize prominent literary works. Psalm 96 is like a CliffsNotes for worship. “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name” is the call to worship. Singing is called for -- not the same old song, but a new song every day. Proclaiming His salvation, or “witnessing”, is a way to worship the Lord. Assisting in the work of evangelism and world missions brings praise to His Name. Seeing God as high above us and maintaining a proper respect for Him as our Creator and Lord promotes a heart of worship. Recognizing the “splendor of His holiness” and respecting His Name will inspire genuine worship. Bringing offerings that truly glorify God is also an essential ingredient. Worship is not the place to be “economical”. All of God’s creation praises Him. Be sure that you participate in some way today. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day