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highest courage is to dare to be yourself in the face of adversity,
choosing right over wrong, ethics over convenience, and truth over
popularity.
Travel the path of integrity without looking back, for THERE IS
NEVER A WRONG TIME TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
-
Bishop Soc Villegas
25 July 2007
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LESSONS OF JOB
(Part 43)
REITERATING OUR THEME FOR NEXT YEAR
“Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.”
(Psalm 96:1)
December 29,
2009
The psalm reading for these last three days of the year 2009 is from
Psalm 96. This reiterates and confirms the theme God gave us for 2010.
Psalm 96 helps us prepare for the new year that is upon us in a few
days.
God is the Almighty! “God is clothed with awesome majesty. The
Almighty .... is great in power” (Job 37:22b-23a,RSV). He is the
Creator-God, having “made the heavens” (Ps 96:5b).[1] As
such, “splendor and power go before him; power and grandeur are in his
holy place.” (Ps 96:6). God the Almighty is simply awesome!
Being so awesome, God is “to be feared above all gods” (Ps 96:4b).
“Therefore men fear him” (Job 37:24a,RSV); “Therefore men revere
him” (Job 37:24a,NAB). Our posture is reverential fear or awe. It is
what makes us “bow down to the Lord .... (and) tremble before God”
(Ps 96:9). It fosters humility, when lowly creatures come before their
great Creator.
But this awesome God reveals Himself as just and righteous. “The
Almighty .... is great in power and justice, and abundant righteousness
he will not violate.” (Job 37:23,RSV). He intends to “govern the
world with justice” (Ps 96:13b,NAB); “He will judge the world with
righteousness” (Ps 96:13b,RSV).
The above are realities that impact on how we live our lives. We cannot
discard, ignore or marginalize such a God. We have two basic ways of
rightly relating to such a God -- worship and evangelization. “Sing to
the Lord, bless his name; announce his salvation day after day.” (Ps
96:2). The two, as in this verse, go together.
By worship we acknowledge who God is, and who we are. God is great and
what is due Him is to be glorified. “For great is the Lord and highly
to be praised” (Ps 96:4a), so we “give to the Lord the glory due his
name!” (Ps 96:8a).
By the work of evangelization, we acknowledge who God is, the Savior,
and who we are, His instruments, and what we are called to do. We are to
proclaim Christ to the whole world. “Tell God’s glory among the
nations; among all peoples, God’s marvelous deeds.” (Ps 96:3). We
are to do a worldwide work of evangelization, so that Jesus can properly
be installed as King of people’s hearts and homes. We are to “say
among the nations: The Lord is king.” (Ps 96:10a).
Worship and evangelization have to do with our relationships -- to God
and to the world. These have to do with who we truly are -- God’s
people and disciples, and God’s servants and instruments.
As God’s people and instruments, we are called to be like Him, that
is, holy. We are to reflect the very image and likeness of God, in which
we were created, and we are to be pure instruments that He can
effectively use for His purposes. This is such a great privilege. For
weak, sinful human beings such as us to be called to follow in the very
footsteps of the Savior, and as His witnesses to allow people to see
Jesus in us. Indeed we are called to be “splendid in holiness” (Ps
96:9a).
This privilege God extends to us is cause for great joy. The Almighty
God favors us as His people. He has saved us. He even uses us to be
instruments of salvation for the world. This joy we live and this joy we
share with the whole world and all of creation.
“Let
the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them.
Then let all the trees of the forest rejoice”
(Psalm
96:11-12)
* * *
[1]NAB
if Bible version not indicated.
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