Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth. Psalm 96:9 (NKJV)
Psalm 96 is called the missionary hymn for all ages. Here David calls on all the nations of the earth to acknowledge the universal sovereignty of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The first part of the verse is a call to worship the Lord Jesus Christ. The beauty and holiness of God is a description of His attribute. Our worship of God is a response to His goodness and what He has done for us as well as who He is. It should be our daily practice.
As we worship, we live habitually in the presence and under the shadow of the Almighty God. Worship is an outflow of words, emotions and thoughts in which our lips, heart, mind and body is synced in adoration, thankfulness and devotion to God. Worship brings us to a place of surrender to God’s perfect will over our lives.
The second part of the verse, ‘tremble before Him’, means to worship God in reverence. This is found usually in a context of a rich relationship where you want to please the other and abide by mutual values. Reverence to our Lord Jesus Christ can be shown by living a holy life according to the word of God. Holiness is about transforming our core, our heart which then changes our behavior. It’s an inside out process.
As we seek the Lord Jesus Christ, He lifts us above all distractions, fears and temptations. A life lived in awareness of God’s presence is transforming.
