Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.’ Psalms 96:1-4
Open my mouth Lord that I may declare to all around me of your salvation, of your “marvelous works.” Because of God’s greatness, he should be “feared.” Not that we should be scared but that he deserves our awe and respect. He is awesome.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. Psalms 103:11-14
For so many reasons, we continue to worship and praise God. He has shown us the way of steadfast love, compassion and forgiveness. The picture of a father loving, caring and teaching his children is god-like. Even in his strength, he remembers our weakness.
‘Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, ‘ Luke 24:44-45
Jesus connects the many predictive writings from the Old Testament to his ministry and identity. Then he helps us understand the writings. We must read for inspiration, clarity and guidance.
‘And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God. ‘ Luke 24:50-53
The life of Jesus, his ministry, death, burial, resurrection and ascension all give us clues about his true identity. Now from heaven his ministry continues. He counsels and guides his church by giving the Holy Spirit.