“Honor and majesty surround Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.” Psalm 96:6
The praises of God’s people are the wings on which our prayers ascend into the very heart of God. We were created in unique ways to offer up the sacrifice of praise. With our voices we sing and shout; with our arms and hands we can clap and lift them in honor; with our minds we can contemplate and meditate on God’s greatness; with our legs and feet we can dance in worship. Our hearts beat with the rhythm of heaven and our spirits search with eagerness for that ultimate satisfaction of intimately connecting with our Creator. Praise is the heavenly language imprinted in our DNA. We were made to praise. Consider four simple nouns that describe God’s awesome glory and engage your body as well as your mind in praise.
Honor surrounds God. The idea of the word is grandeur, an imposing form and appearance. In honor of God’s holiness, the cherubim who continually encircle the very enthroned presence of God, humbly cover their faces and their feet with four of their six wings. Perhaps today you might bow your head, slip off your shoes, and kneel a few moments in honor of the King of Glory. Your body knows these positions even if your heart has forgotten them. Praise Him!
Majesty encompasses God. Magnificent splendor radiates from Him as He sits on the throne of heaven. The crystal sea, which serves as the floor of His throne room, reflects the glory of this magnificent splendor, as it reverberates throughout His creation. Lift up your head and look deeply with the eyes of your spirit into this majesty and reflect back with your heart His majestic glory. Be a mirror, you were created in His image and in His likeness. Praise Him!
Strength fills His sanctuary. Literally the word means “stout.” God is a so strong nothing can remove Him from His position. He is secure. Our God is an awesome God filled with power and might. Prostrate your body before Him. Prostrate your will before Him, and He will give you the strength that will drive away every weakness you struggle with today…His strength. Praise Him!
Beauty saturates His sanctuary. God literally gleams with beauty. He is the magnificent One in whom there is no blemish. He shines with utter holiness. His appearance is beyond description and His countenance gleams with the brightness of a thousand suns. He is utterly breathtaking in His beauty. Allow your eyes and heart to feast on His beauty. Let it take your breath away. Stretch forth your arms and hands and embrace His beauty. Allow the rhythmic beating of your heart to guide your feet as you dance before Him in worship. Praise Him!
By the way, you…yes you, are His sanctuary. You are His holy temple. Allow the Father to open the doors of His temple and enter in to be praised. Ascend on the wings of praise and enter into the inner courts of worship with the Lover of your soul. Engage all that you are for the glory of all that He is. It will change you forever and He will be glorified as you praise Him!