This week I began my trek through the Psalms. I love the Psalms because they have so much to teach us about true worship of Jesus. I’m going to handle this a little differently (for now at least) than the Nehemiah series, in that I’ll be dealing primarily with the verses that struck me while reading. So while it may appear disjointed at times, I hope you find this glimpse into my personal study helpful in your own.
The Psalms:
Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night (Psalm 1:1-2).
Serve the Lord with fear,
and rejoice with trembling (Psalm 2:11).
Salvation belongs to the Lord… (Psalm 3:8).
Be angry, and do not sin;
ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah
Offer right sacrifices,
and put your trust in the Lord (Psalm 4:4-5).
What do these seemingly disconnected verses have to do with each other? In their original context, and together, they teach us about right worship.
If I, seeking to be wise, delight in the Scripturesâthe revealed will of GodâI will serve Him with fear and rejoice in Him with trembling; indeed, I will be empowered and enabled to work out my salvation with fear and trembling, because I know the character and person of Jesus as revealed in His Word, and it is Him at work within me (Philippians 2:12-13). If I do not sin in my anger, but instead search my heart for the root cause of my anger, I will give no opportunity to the devil (Ephesians 4:26-27). I will put my trust in the Lord, who will show me the sins of which I must repentâand in doing so offer right sacrifices in keeping with repentance (Matthew 3:8, Acts 26:20).
And I can put my trust in Him, because salvation belongs to the Lord Jesus alone.
This is the heart of worship: A love for Jesus as revealed in the Scriptures, a desire to repent of sin and follow as He leads, trusting that His will is for both His glory and our joy.
That leaves us with some questions to ponder:
Do we delight in the Scriptures? If not, do we want to delight in them?
In what areas of life does sin reign, preventing us from putting our trust in the Lord?
What sacrifice is the Holy Spirit calling us to make today?
For other entries in this series, please visit the Blogging the Psalms page.
