[Continuing our study of Psalm 27. We’ve looked at confidence,the fear of man,vision and beauty…thanks for joining us.]
And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD.
Here, O LORD, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to You, “Your face, LORD, do I seek.”
Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O You who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation! (6-9)
A vision of the beauty of the LORD is what inspires true worship.
David has walked in confidence in the presence of his enemies, he has sought a single-minded vision of God’s abiding presence, and has drawn near to gaze up on the beauty of the LORD. And now that He has seen His God there is little to do but break into joyful and exuberant worship.
Though there’s more verses that follow, it could be that this is the holy crescendo of Psalm 27. Why?
Because worship is the only spiritual discipline that is an end in itself.
Worship is the only goal.
What is the “one thing,”what does it mean to be single-minded? If we are single-minded what is the single thing?
Worship.
Missions exist because worship doesn’t. We storm the 10-40 window because in it there are worshippers of God who are not yet worshipping. We sponsor children in Africa, orphans ravaged by the effects of AIDs, not simply to give them a better life but so they can see the goodness and mercy of our glorious God and rise to their feet in worship.
Christian fellowship is not the end goal, Christian education is not the end goal, financial stewardship is not the end goal, even evangelism and discipleship is not the end goal.
Worship is the goal. Our efforts at fellowship and education and stewardship and evangelism and discipleship are only as effective as much as they increase true worship of the One True God.
If our lives are not marked by an ever-increasing measure of true worship, then I wonder if we are connected to the Beautiful Vine? Perhaps we can even be kind people, patient people, generous people, and not be worshippers?
David was, first and foremost, a worshipper of God.
He reflected God so much that God said of David, “he has a heart like mine” (Acts 13:22).
Tomorrow we’ll look at the four-faceted vision of worship that David gives in this Psalm. For today, perhaps there is just one appropriate response?
Worship. {Thank you for reading.}