The LORD reigns,
He is clothed with majesty;
The LORD has clothed and girded Himself with strength;
Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.
Psalm 93:1 NASB
Today’s teaching is actually the story behind one of my oldest worship songs called ‘Hallelujah! He Reigns in Majesty’. I wrote the song on May 27, 1986. You did not misread the date this song was received. It is one of the first praise choruses I received when the Lord began showing me how to lead out in worship while we were still in Oklahoma City.
If you have been around me or know of my early recordings, you will have heard this song before. Since I have never put it on one of the ‘big’ recordings, I thought it was a shame to not have this beautiful and simple little song out there blessing the Lord. In the early days, we would sing this song with all our hearts, people would dance. People would kneel. People would shout at the simple joy of exalting God.
In accordance with the simplicity of the song itself is the simplicity of what the word hallelujah means. It literally means ‘praise the Lord’ . It is not an empty, meaningless word meant to take up musical space. It is one of the most profound words in all eternity. It is being uttered in heaven around the throne of God right now!
Then I heard [something] like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.” Revelation 19:6 NASB
Praising our God will never go out of style! The word hallelujah and the depths of the richness of its meaning will never grow stale or overused. The quickest way to make one’s self aware of the atmosphere of heaven is to worship God!
And all the angels were standing around the throne and [around] the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, "Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, [be] to our God forever and ever. Amen.” Revelation 7:11-12 NASB
Let’s do this in the coming days. Let’s purpose in our hearts to exalt the Lord by using the simple word ‘hallelujah’ whenever we are made aware of His presence or His goodness or His love for us. He is enthroned on the praises of His people. He is worthy of our praise. Let us use praise to help us fix our eyes on Jesus. Hallelujah!
Dennis Jernigan
To listen to The Dennis Jernigan Podcast version of this teaching and to hear the song, Hallelujah! He Reigns in Majesty, just go to http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/hallelujah-he-reigns-in-majesty/
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