OUR OBLIGATION TO ASCRIBE

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com.

In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness.

Psalm 29:1-2

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

The contemporary Christian group, Jars of Clay, wrote the following lyrics into a song titled “The Stone” which appeared on the compilation album, “City on a Hill”:

“Ascribe greatness, ascribe greatness. Ascribe greatness to the Rock so high, so high”

It’s one of the few songs I can remember that have used the word “ascribe” in reference to the Lord Most High, the Rock and Stronghold who rules over us all, the Almighty, Omnipotent Creator of the world who is the definition of greatness.

Look into the scriptures and you’ll find that within the New International Version, the word “ascribe” is only used ten times across seven verses. In all instances, we are to ascribe either glory, strength, or, in the case of Job, justice to the Lord. As we look at the opening verses of the 29th Psalm, we find David exhorting ascription:

Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness.

So what does it mean to “ascribe greatness” or to ascribe anything for that matter?

If you pull out your dictionary, you will find that to “ascribe” a matter to something or somebody is to refer something to a “supposed cause, source, or author” (Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary). Using my thesaurus within Microsoft Word, I learn that synonyms for the verb “ascribe” are to assign, to credit, or to attribute. And with this, the meaning of “ascribe” becomes to take shape as we apply it to God.
It’s rather simple really. We are to ascribe or assign and attribute full credit for all things to the Lord, the One whom from all things flow.

Looking back at the things David tells us to ascribe to the Lord, we see two key mentions:

1. Glory.

We are to give the Lord all the glory for He and He alone defines glory.

Glory is great beauty and grandeur. Is there anything more beautiful than the Lord, than the love He has for His beloved children, the mankind that He created in such amazing grandeur. And speaking of beautiful grandeur, get out and fully experience the world around you and you’ll never cease to be amazed at the beauty of God’s handiwork. For the glory of the Lord shines brightly all around us. The lands we walk, the seas we sail and swim in, the trees, the flowers, the birds of the air and the animals of the land and sea, the clouds and stars and planets that inhabit the sky, and the air we breathe that sustains us, all are just a measure of the magnificence we see in the Lord, the only One worthy of being ascribed glory because He is glory.

2. Strength.

Is there any power greater than the Lord’s?

Look at what some of the scriptures have to say about it?

This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of His power. Ephesians 3:6-7

God reveals His power to us through grace, not His power to destroy us but rather His power to save us despite our deserving His wrath. We might call it divine will power or the Lord’s power displayed in His will not to punish us as we deserve. God’s mercy is indeed a powerful blessing, a blessing that grants us strength from Him. It’s the very reason I can type this right now and why you can read the words He is giving me.  

My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power. 1 Corinthians 2:4-5

God displays His power in all kinds of ways and does so that we might grow in our faith in Him and that all things can be done by Him. After all, His word assures us that there is nothing impossible with God. With this truth, why would we ever place our full trust in the imperfection of humanity when we have the perfect power of God available. It’s little wonder why the scriptures ask, “If God is for us, who can stand against us?” Romans 8:31 No one can be ascribed the strength that we find in the Lord.

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18

Yes, grace and mercy are both reasons to ascribe strength to the Lord but they are both intangibles. Want a tangible example of God’s power and strength? There is no better one than the Cross of Calvary where Jesus was crucified. For death was swallowed up in victory as Jesus died and then rise from the grave into resurrection, the fullest measure of God’s glory and strength on display. Today and forevermore, the Cross is our assurance and revelation of God’s almighty power.

Since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. For to be sure, He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with Him in our dealing with you. 2 Corinthians 13:3-4

Indeed, Jesus was resurrected by God’s almighty power and the good news is that those who place their faith and trust in Christ as Savior will also experience that resurrection power when the appointed time comes. Paul knew and trusted in the powerful promises of the Lord and gained the strength to boldly carry the Gospel to others through the Lord and the Lord alone. We can do likewise.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:3-5

Yes, we gain a living hope through God’s power and strength expressed in His raising Jesus from death to life and in His promise to do the same for us. We are emboldened to go forth and share the good news of the Gospel with others, fulfilling Christ’s command to make disciples of all nations, and we can do so without fear because we know we aren’t going out alone for the cause of Jesus. No, God is walking with us to protect us, shielding us by way of His power until our salvation comes. Who should we be afraid of if we know we are shielded by God’s power? No one, that’s who.

David proclaims, “Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.”

Truly, there is no glory like the glory of the Lord and there is no strength like His strength. And with this, we are to ever and always give the Lord His due, to ascribe to Him all credit. It’s our obligation to do so for all glory, honor and praise belong to Him and Him alone.

Friends, we were created to worship the Lord while immersed in the splendor of His holiness, the magnificence of His divine sacredness. He is and always will be worthy of all our respect and admiration. 

Have you taken the time today to ascribe greatness to the Lord, the Rock Most High?

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com