The Health of Worship

March 2 READ Psalm 33:1–9. 1 Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. 2 Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. 3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. 4 For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. 5 The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. 6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. 7 He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him. 9 For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.

THE HEALTH OF WORSHIP. Praise is “fitting” (verse 1). It fits God because he is worthy and fits us because we were created for it. Thus, generous and happy people are prone to praise, while others are prone to complain. Praise is “inner health made audible.”25 But we were created not for praise in general but to worship something supremely, to have our thoughts and hearts captivated. We need to draw our hearts from fixation on other things and become enraptured with the beauty of the Lord. One of the main ways to do this is to use skillful music in our worship and private devotion (verse 3). Prayer: Lord, I praise you that you are a praiseworthy God, both perfectly good and unimaginably glorious. And I thank you for how your praise heals me—clarifies my vision, changes my perspective, strengthens my heart, and produces joy upon joy. Help me to see you as you are so I will praise you as I ought.26 Amen.

Keller, Timothy. The Songs of Jesus: A Year of Daily Devotions in the Psalms (p. 61). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.