(Psalms 134:1-3) A Song of Ascents. Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, who stand by night in the house of the LORD! Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the LORD! May the LORD bless you from Zion, he who made heaven and earth!
(Hebrews 10:19-23) Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
The Lord has blessed and continues to bless you in ways unimaginable and impossible for you to reciprocate. In one sense it is truly impossible for you to bless the Lord. What could you possibly do for or give to the Lord that He could not provide for Himself. He has no needs and is totally self-sufficient. In another sense you are able to bless the Lord richly with your reverence, love, and exultation. The lifting of one's hands is an expression of this reverence, love, and exultation which blesses the Lord.
Lifting your hands is symbolic of surrender and of making yourself vulnerable to the one before whom you stand. You have not guard or defense to protect yourself. It also places your hands, the instruments through which you do all that you do, in symbolic proximity to God. Finally, it is a physical, outward expression of your reverence and love of the Lord. This is the essence of exultation; to rejoice exceedingly, that is, beyond what can be contained inwardly but must be expressed outwardly. That blesses the Lord.
Bless the Lord today by expressing your reverence and love for Him by exulting Him. Lift your hands and praise the Lord!
Questions For Discussion
- In what ways could you possibly bless the Lord?
- Is it necessary to lift you hands in order to truly praise and worship God?
- What are some of the things lifting your hands demonstrate and symbolize about your relationship with the Lord?
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