“The chief reason for applauding God? He deserves it. If singing did nothing but weary your voice, if giving only emptied your wallet – if worship did nothing for you – it would still be right to do. God warrants our worship. How else do you respond to a Being of blazing, blistering, unadulterated, unending holiness? No mark. Nor freckle. Not a bad thought, bad day, or bad decision. Ever! What do you do with such holiness if not adore it?
And his power. He churns forces that launch meteors, orbit planets, and ignite stars. Commanding whales to spout salty air, petunias to perfume the night, and songbirds to chirp joy into spring. Above the earth, flotillas of clouds endlessly shape and reshape; within the earth, strata of groaning rocks shift and turn. Who are we to sojourn on a trembling, wonderful orb so shot through with wonder?
And tenderness? God has never taken his eyes off you. Not for a millisecond. He’s always near. He lives to hear your heartbeat. He loves to hear your prayers. He’d die for your sin before he’d let you die in your sin, so he did.
What do you do with such a Savior? Don’t you sing to him? Don’t you celebrate him in baptism, elevate him in Communion? Don’t you bow a knee, lower a head, hammer a nail, feed the poor, and lift up your gift in worship? Of course you do.
Worship God. Applaud him loud and often. For your sake, you need it.
And for heaven’s sake, he deserves it.”
–Max Lucado – Cure for the Common Life
Ooh. That’s good. Thank you for that on this cold winter Monday!
Okay, I’ve already printed this off to distribute to my entire Sunday School class. I LOVE IT!!! Thank you BooMama and Max Lucado for the perfect words on a Monday morning! Hope everyone has a great week.
Great quote from a fantastic book.
We’re in a phase with the teen and the ‘tween where “because it’s the right thing to do” seems to be the theme of the moment. I had forgotten this passage, but we’ll be pulling this book off the shelf today. Perhaps this will be the dictation for the week.
Thanks for the timely reminder, BooMama. Have a blessed week.
Fantastic book. I have read so many of his, and they are all superb.Thanks for the reminder!
Beautiful reminder. Thank you!
Never read the book, so a huge THANK YOU is in order. Doesn’t His “huge-ness” just overwhelm you? And isn’t our “small-ness” humbling? I just love God!
So timely, your post. I’m currently reading this book! And enjoying every minute of it. AND trying to put it all into practice…praying that He will help me do so. Good morning and continued blessings to you! :)
ooooooooooooohhhhh, Amen and amen!!! Thanks for sharing and getting a great Monday off to a great start!
Quotes like that I have to read over and over and just let them soak in. That’s some good stuff there BooMama. Love Max Lucado!
We just talked about this yesterday at morning service. Too many people say “well, I’ll show up after worship time…I don’t like the songs…I don’t like the style…I don’t like the worship leader…I just want to get fed by the sermon…Etc.”
And, to that our pastor said…”Worship is NOT FOR YOU! It’s FOR HIM! Because He deserves it! And, you owe it to Him to worship Him, bless Him, and thank Him!”
Amen, amen, amen, girl!
Amen! He is worthy! When will we learn it is not about us! It is all about Him! The One and Only!
May I live my life where THAT is reflected in my every move… Praising God for the sake of doing so because it is what I was MADE TO DO.
That brings tears to my eyes and guilt to my heart because I don’t always praise him as he truly deserves.
I wasn’t “introduced” to Max Lucado until we lived in Florida. The very thought that I could have heard him every Sunday when we lived in San Antonio still bugs me. Great writing. Thanks for sharing it.
Wonderful message and great reminder.
I make up songs and play them on my keyboard and sing to Him.
And AMEN again. I just finished this book and loved it; of course, which Max Lucado book haven’t I loved?!! He’s just the best at “splaining” it all so well. Thanks for this little devotion!
Oh, I have read this! I love it!!
Now I know why I wanted that book so badly! And now I wonder why on earth its sitting on an end table not read?
Great post!Thanks for the email.
Love it.
He does deserve it!
Wow…that was beautiful.