4 facets of worship

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;

I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.

I will be glad and exult in you;

I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

Psalm 9:1-2

David opens this psalm with four aspects of worship that can be understood for us so that we may utilize them as we express our worship to God today. First, there is a WHOLEHEARTED THANKFULNESS. David is truly grateful to God for His saving and sustaining work. This thankfulness comes not from a quiet nod or a begrudging allowance. David is motivated by overwhelming appreciation. He offers thanksgiving from every part of his soul in worship of God.

Secondly, there is a FULL REMEMBRANCE of all that God has done. In his worship, David recounts all the stories of God’s work among His people and in David’s own life. He bases his worship on what He knows God has done. And it is a long list of major powerful displays of God’s love, mercy and actions. This helps us understand how to be thankful... we need to purposefully record and remember God’s blessings to us.

Thirdly, David worships WITH EMOTION. He is glad. He exults in God. This is not a disconnected activity. It is no boring litany done out of rote duty. The gladness and joy of honest worship seized David’s heart and led him in joyous praise. Worship should lead us to gladness in God!

Finally, David WORSHIPED WITH EXPRESSION. He sang praise to God. David was always in his heart that musical shepherd boy before he was ever king, and when worship was engaged, so was that singing boy! He had to express his love, adoration, and wonder at God and God’s works in song. And we should be glad he did so because most of the book of Psalms is his personal portfolio of praise production. The heart that worships God will sing its own new song. That is real praise.