Mmmmmmmmmmm. MMMMMMMMMMMMMM!
“Mmmmmmmmmm. MMMMMMMMMMMM! Fay this is scrumptious. Is this corn hand shucked?”
I think I quote Bob Wiley (character in the movie:“What About Bob”) every time I eat corn on the cob. I don’t care how tired my kids are of hearing it. I love corn on the cob. I can’t wait till corn on the cob season. When everyone around me grumbles about rainy days in the spring and summer, I say, “We’ll be glad for this rain when it’s time for corn on the cob.” And I can’t eat corn on the cob silently. Like Bob Wiley I have to express my delight.
We’ve been designed by God to enjoy and appreciate beauty, skill, and excellence. But we don’t usually enjoy these things silently. We have to express our delight. We shout and give high-fives at touchdowns and homers. We gush at a beautiful sunsets. We applaud and cheer our favorite rock bands. We rave about movies and steaks and sushi (well, I don’t rave about sushi, but my son David does).
C.S. Lewis says, “I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation” (Reflections on the Psalms).
I used to wonder why God commanded us to praise him. It seemed a bit egotistic to me. If I commanded my kids to compliment me, it would be because I’m arrogant. But when God commands us to worship him, it’s not to stroke his ego; he’s inviting us to enjoy him to the fullest.
Praise expresses and completes our enjoyment of God. I don’t know about you, but I want to enjoy Jesus as much as possible. I want as much joy in Christ as I can get.
How can we contemplate God’s kindness and faithfulness and not cry out, “Isn’t he good!” How can we think about God’s holiness and glory and not sing, “How great is our God!” It would be easier to stand beside the Grand Canyon unmoved and silent. And how can we survey the glorious Cross and see the love of God displayed there for poor sinners without bursting into song?
My heart is filled with a thousand songs
Proclaiming the glories of Calvary
With every breath, Lord how I long
To sing of Jesus who died for me…
(From “The Glories of Calvary” by Steve and Vikki Cook, Sovereign Grace Music)
Is your heart filled with a thousand songs? Enjoy the Lord today. Express and complete your enjoyment by giving him praise.
Posted in Worship
April 16th, 2008 at 7:02 am
i must confess, that i didn’t wake up this morning filled with a thousand songs of praise. my first thought was not “wow! thank you Jesus for the cross” it was instead “grrr. do I HAVE to get up already?!? i don’t feel like starting a day - I’d rather stay in bed!”
thanks for helping to change that perspective. whether I feel like it or not, whether I’m tired or hurting or not, my day is met by a God that cares - a God that has infinitely provided for me.
thanks for the reminder. I needed that this morning.
April 16th, 2008 at 11:09 am
Here in Japan, the Japanese love their corn on the cob too! But, they grill them with soy sauce basted on them.
Please pray for the people of Japan. Pray that they, too, will be drawn to sing songs of praise to the one TRUE God!
April 16th, 2008 at 10:40 pm
Hi Emily,
I wish I’d always wake up saying, “Thank you Jesus for the cross.” I’m going to try to make that my first and last thought each day.
Thank you for this great comment.
April 16th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
Hi Jennifer,
They baste soy sauce on corn on the cob? I’ll have to try that - it actually sounds good to me.
I’ve had the privilege recently of meeting with a man from Japan and working our way through the gospel of John. Yes, may Japan sing the praises of Jesus!