February 9, 2025 | Pastor Nathan Johnson
In a world filled with chaos and uncertainty, it’s easy to lose sight of who God truly is. Yet, now more than ever, we need to be reminded of His unchanging nature and unwavering love for us. Our God is both majestic and merciful – a powerful combination that should inspire awe, gratitude, and praise in our hearts.
The Psalmist calls us to “Praise the Lord!” This isn’t just a casual suggestion, but a heartfelt command to God’s servants. To praise God means to give a glowing, enthusiastic, energetic, and unreserved report about who He is. It’s not something we do out of obligation or because someone tells us to; rather, it springs from a heart that has truly reflected on God’s character and deeds.
Consider the Israelites celebrating Passover. They weren’t just going through the motions of a religious ritual. They were actively remembering how God had delivered them from slavery in Egypt, brought them through the wilderness, and led them into the Promised Land. Their praise was a response to God’s faithfulness in their lives.
Similarly, we should take time to reflect on how God has worked in our own lives. Has He brought you out of difficult situations? Has He guided you through challenging seasons? Has He blessed you beyond what you thought possible? These reflections should provoke us to praise!
Our praise shouldn’t be limited to specific times or places. The Psalmist encourages us to praise God “from the rising of the sun to its setting” – not just as a measure of time, but as an indication that God is worthy of praise everywhere. Whether we’re in a church service, at work, or going about our daily routines, our hearts can be lifted in praise to our majestic and merciful God.
But what exactly makes our God so worthy of praise? The Psalmist provides us with several profound truths:
- God is high above all nations. In a world where political powers vie for supremacy, we can rest assured that our God transcends every earthly authority. No matter what alliances form or what conflicts arise, God remains sovereign over all.
- His glory is above the heavens. God’s majesty extends beyond our planet, beyond our solar system, beyond anything we can observe or imagine in the vastness of space.
- He sits enthroned, unbothered by the schemes and machinations of this world. While we may fret over the latest news headlines, God remains in control, His plans unshaken.
- Yet, despite His lofty position, He stoops down to see us. This is where God’s mercy shines through. The Creator of the universe, in all His majesty, chooses to pay attention to us – His creation. He sees our struggles, our pain, our needs.
- He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy. Our God is in the business of elevating those whom society often overlooks. He takes those considered insignificant and seats them with nobility.
- He gives the barren woman a home, making her a joyous mother of children. This speaks to God’s power to reverse situations that seem hopeless. Where there is lack, He brings abundance. Where there is sorrow, He brings joy.
These truths paint a picture of a God who is both transcendent in His majesty and intimately involved in the lives of His people. He is not a distant deity, unconcerned with our affairs, but a loving Father who delights in caring for His children.
This combination of majesty and mercy is perfectly embodied in Jesus Christ. The Son of God, equal with the Father in glory and majesty, humbled Himself to become one of us. He experienced human life with all its joys and sorrows. Ultimately, He demonstrated the depths of God’s love by dying on the cross for our sins.
But the story doesn’t end there. In the greatest reversal of all time, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day. Death could not hold Him; the grave could not contain Him. Through His resurrection, Jesus conquered sin and death, offering us the hope of eternal life.
This is the God we serve – majestic enough to rule over all creation, yet merciful enough to care about the details of our lives. Powerful enough to speak the universe into existence, yet personal enough to know the number of hairs on our heads. Glorious enough to dwell in unapproachable light, yet gracious enough to make His home in our hearts.
How should we respond to such a God? With heartfelt, enthusiastic praise! Let’s not be timid or reserved in our worship. Our God deserves our highest adoration, our deepest gratitude, our loudest proclamations of His goodness.
Moreover, let’s allow the reality of who God is to shape our daily lives. When we truly grasp His majesty, we’ll approach Him with reverence and awe. When we experience His mercy, we’ll be filled with thankfulness and love. When we understand His sovereignty, we’ll find peace in the midst of life’s storms. When we recognize His attentiveness to our needs, we’ll bring our concerns to Him in prayer.
In a world that often feels chaotic and unpredictable, we can anchor our souls in the unchanging nature of our God. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever – majestic in His power, merciful in His dealings with us.
So let us join with the Psalmist in declaring, “Praise the Lord!” Let our lives be a continuous song of worship to the One who sits enthroned above the heavens yet stoops down to lift us up. Let us never cease to marvel at His majesty or to rejoice in His mercy. For truly, there is no one like our God – majestic and merciful, transcendent and imminent, glorious and gracious, high above all yet very near to each of us.