In our Bible study we have been delving into why God demands our praise and worship. He asks for all our praise and to be glorified by us throughout scripture....does he really NEED it? Have you ever thought of that before? Does it seem like a selfish thing for a loving God to demand of us? It has been a really interesting study by John Piper, Desiring God. In tonight's talk, John Piper shared a rather lengthy quote by C.S. Lewis that is an interesting perspective on praise and why we praise...
"But the most obvious fact about praise -- whether of God or anything --strangely escaped me. I thought of it in terms of a compliment, approval, or the giving of honor. I had never noticed that all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise unless....shyness or the fear of boring others is deliberately brought in to check it.
The world rings with praise -- lovers praising their mistress (Romeo praising Juliet and vice versa), readers their favorite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favorite game --praise of the weather, wines, dishes, actors, motors, horses, colleges, countries, historical personages, children, flowers, mountains, rare stamps, rare beetles, even sometimes politicians or scholars. I had not noticed how the humblest, and at the same time most balanced and capacious minds praised most, while the cranks, misfits, malcontents, praised least. (Except where intolerably adverse circumstances interfere, praise almost seems to be inner health made audible...) I had not noticed either that just as men spontaneously praise whatever they value, so they spontaneously urge us to join them in praising it: "Isn't she lovely? Wasn't it glorious? Don't you think it magnificent?" The Psalmists in telling everyone to praise God are doing what all do when they speak of what they care about.
My whole, more general, difficulty about the praise of God depended on my absurdly denying to us, as regards the supremely Valuable, what we delight to do, what indeed we can't help doing, about everything else we value. I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation. It is not out of compliment that lovers keep telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete until it is expressed."
What do you think? Do you think our response to God's goodness as praise and adoration of Him...of giving Him glory.....completes our joy in Him? If so, is this a selfish command for Him to make?.....I command you to receive this fullness of joy :P
Far Too Wonderful
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIWMXiT8yrs
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