Worthy Of Praise

Bud Wilkerson, a nationally respected football coach, was once asked by a reporter, “Coach, how much has football contributed to the nation’s desire to be physically fit?”

Looking at the reporter, he said, “Nothing - not one thing.”

Surprised, the reporter asked, “Would you care to elaborate on that?”

“Certainly,” said Wilkerson. “I define football as twenty-two men on a field desperately needing rest and forty-thousand people in the stands desperately needing exercise.”

The writer of Psalm 96 must have thought the same way the coach did. “For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise.” Here the Psalmist is talking about those who are in the stands cheering and shouting about God’s greatness. But before the cheering were those who took God’s message of hope to the lost and searching - those who were on the “field” were involved in a battle for the souls around them - the “players”- who were “declaring God’s glory and marvelous deeds” and “sharing and proclaiming His salvation!”

John R. Stott once said, “If a man has religion, he must do one of two things with it. If it is false, he must give it up. And if it is true, he must give it away.”

Imagine how loud the shouts would be in church if we had more people on the field battling for the lives of the lost and wandering? We must “play” harder if we want cheers.

Prayer:  We pray, Father, that we may work more seriously with You to reach the lost. Renew our strength for the battles we face and give us victory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today: For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise. Psalm 96:4a