A Heart of Praise

From the Depth of God's Wisdom

Bible Passage: Ro 11:33–36

Introduction

Have you ever spent a significant amount of time, I’m talking about more than just 30 seconds or even 1 minute attempting to do nothing but offer praise to God? Last week we talked about the beauty I saw that compelled me to Worship God at a time when I didn’t even know God. I had a related but very different experience once in the middle of our living room in Huber Heights, Ohio. At that time, it was my habit to get up early to first spend some time in Bible Study and Prayer and then do my school work for seminary. At that particular time the theme of my quite time was focused on praising God in my prayer time. Today I use the acrostic ACTS - Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication to keep me on track when I pray. I try really hard to give equal time to each. Anyway, that particular morning I was focused on praising Him. I had knelt there in our living room and I was just praising God. I didn’t hear an audible voice or anything strange like that, but very suddenly I was aware of the presence of God there in the room with me. I was compelled to get on my face before Him. It honestly felt like I couldn’t get low enough. I remember laid flat on my face, no longer on my knees, but just as low as I could possibly get. He was just there to receive my praise. I didn’t hear any audible messages or get any overpowering revelation or anything like that, I was just driven to put my face into the carpet and keep on praising Him as He overwhelmed me with his immediate presence. This wasn’t a common thing for me. Still isn’t. There have been other times never exactly the same, except when you know God is there, it’s overpowering. It always reminds me of the passage in Isaiah.

Isaiah 6:5 ESV

And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

When God shows up where we are the experience tends to be overwhelming. Moses at the burning bush, Paul on the road to Damascus, the disciples in the boat with Jesus, the feeding of the thousands with just a couple loaves of bread and some small fish … when we find ourselves in the presence of God the natural response is to worship Him. In all the times, I’ve experienced God on my own and even in the presence of others through worship and praise together. God is overwhelming. Maybe you’ve felt that presence when a preacher seemed to have found his way inside your head or you took part in a large gathering of worshipers. Hearing the voices of a few thousand men singing hymns and filling the metro tunnels with praise. You know when He shows up. If you’re having trouble feeling Him, come back to this passage and get a fresh perspective.

1. Wonder at God's Wisdom

Romans 11:33 ESV

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

Be Amazed at God’s Wisdom

His Wisdom is Rich - goes beyond just an understanding of things

His Wisdom has depth - reaches profound levels of understanding

His Wisdom comes from Knowledge - He knows all things

Be Aware of His Unfathomable Wisdom

See it present in your life

Recognize you may not understand His Plan

Discover the profound trust from this understanding

Marvel at the Divine Mysteries

Judgments are unsearchable

Ways are inscrutable

Unknowable mysteries lead to unbounded trust

Think for a minute about putting together a complex puzzle. When you dump them all out on the table to begin to find all the edges, right? Once you have all the edge pieces together then you can start to look at the others and maybe sort them by color. When you have just a few pieces together, it seems like chaos. However, as you begin to see the bigger picture, the confusion fades, and a sense beauty of the scene starts to appear. Similarly, God’s wisdom works in our lives, piecing together experiences that may seem random at first. The wonder comes when, through faith, we see how beautifully it all connects in His perfect plan!

2. Acknowledge Our Limitations

Romans 11:34–35 ESV

“For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?”

Who Has Known the Mind of the Lord

We cannot fathom His mind

Can you even keep track of your family

Can you fully understand a part of Him

Who Has Been God’s Counselor

Are you capable of advising God?

Do you know enough to comfort Him?

Can you acknowledge our limitations?

Who Has Given a Gift to God

Can you do anything to put Him in your debt?

God needs nothing from you

Provides everything for you - praise Him

Years ago Finn made some awards for Pam and Me. World’s Greatest Pappy Ever. I taped it to the mirror in my bathroom and it hung there for years. Recently Pam framed them both and hung them on the wall of our bedroom. We love those signs and we’ve kept them for many years. It may be one of our favorite gifts ever. It’s the thought and love behind it that matters. Similarly, our contributions to God may seem small, but if given with love and faith, He embraces them with joy, showing us that every gift is valuable in His kingdom!

3. To God Be the Glory

Romans 11:36 ESV

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

From Him are All Things

Everything you think you own comes from God

All your life is a gift from Him

All things exist for His Glory - We should praise Him

Through Him are All Things

God’s wisdom led to all things

God’s knowledge put the whole world together

Nothing exists apart from Him - can I get an Amen! (will you praise Him)

To Him are All Things

All of creation points to Him

Wherever you are points back to Him

Glorify Him forever - send the praise for all things to Him

Remember the story of Joseph in Genesis. Despite being sold into slavery and facing numerous hardships, he consistently acknowledged God's reign in his life. When he finally confronted his brothers, instead of seeking revenge, he said in Genesis 50:20, 'You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.' Joseph modelled how giving glory to God, even in trials, reflects a heart oriented properly towards worship, allowing His greatness to shine through our stories.

Love God, Love People, Share Jesus

God doesn’t hate those who don’t give praise to Him. More than once he’s put an end to those who were unwilling to acknowledge Him. But the truth everything is His and He won’t share the glory for it with anyone, should never be forgotten. One day soon, he will bring about a great awakening among the people of Israel and the movement will sweep across the world. Better to be ready now.

Prayer, 206 – Have Thine Own Way Lord