Morning Worship Thoughts

This week we introduced a new/old song, "O Worship the King" which is a great model for why we worship. It was written by Robert Grant in the early 1800's and comes from Psalm 104.

"Praise the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. He wraps himself in the light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent." (vv.1-2)

The hymn uses great names of God; King, Ancient of Days, Shield, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend. It also uses great imagery found in the Psalm as well. The first verse reminds us of God’s glory, power and love. It uses phrases like “Pavilioned in splendor” which our modern translation would say clothed in splendor, and in verse 2 it describes His robe as the light and canopy space. In the final verse, the hymn uses the word "ineffable" which means, "too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words". That is a great attitude of worship, when you run out of words in trying to describe who God is.

Personally, I love how this starts out with the Psalmist telling his soul to praise God. Often times we get caught up in doing life and we forget to praise God. This is why Paul instructs us encourage each other with Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (Eph. 5:19). This is true for us because songs can remind us of the characteristics of God and even teach us what it means to live in communion with Him.


Chorus 1
You alone are the matchless King
To You alone be all majesty
Your glories and wonders
What tongue can recite
You breathe in the air
You shine in the light

Verse 1
O worship the King all glorious above
O gratefully sing His wonderful love
Our Shield and Defender the Ancient of Days
Pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise

Verse 2
O tell of His might O sing of His grace
Whose robe is the light and canopy space
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form
And dark is His path on the wings of the storm

Verse 3
O measureless might ineffable love
While angels delight to worship above
Thy mercies how tender how firm to the end
Our Maker Defender Redeemer and Friend