It is tragic that some look at worship as being boring and find little joy in the time they spend in worship. Contrast this attitude with heart of David who spoke of the place worship had in his heart and his devotion to worship. Look at the following psalms as David describes his attitude toward praising his Maker.
David Praised God with All His Heart
David said, “I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart…I will praise You with uprightness of heart…I will praise You with my whole heart” (Psalm 9:1; 119:7; 138:1). The soul which loves God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength will find great joy in praising God will all of his might. Worship should never be a chore to be dreaded but anticipated with one’s entire being.
David Praised God in the Public Assembly
Hear these words from the godly heart of David. “I will declare Your name to my brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will praise You…I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people” (Psa. 22:22; 35:18). The first verse is applied to Jesus and His presence in our assemblies (Heb. 2:12). Do you want your praise to Him to be meaningful? Then imagine Jesus sitting beside you singing!
David Praised God Before All
The man after God’s own heart worshiped God unashamedly. “I will praise you…before the gods I will sing praises to You…I will praise You, O Lord, among the people, and I will sing praises to You among the nations” (Psa. 138:1; 108:3). There was no hesitancy or timidity in David’s praise of God. Even when he fled from King Saul and lived among the heathen, he continued to praise God. We must never let peer pressure hinder our worship of God. David also described his worship this way. “I will praise You…I will tell of all your marvelous works” (Psa. 139:14). We need to worship Him and thereby show and tell others how much joy we have in worship.
David Praised God Forever
“I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forevermore” (Psa. 86:12). There are some Christians who do not share this attitude in praising God. They seemingly worship God only when it is convenient for them, but in doing this, they are so different from David. When he penned the psalms, he was devoted to worship, and as he looked to the future, he knew he would always feel this way.
Take time today to measure your life of praise against that of David. Worship changes your heart. Perhaps this is why David’s heart was like the heart of God. Is yours?