Worship Through the PsalmsPrøve

David proclaims in Psalm 27:4, “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple.” David’s one desire was the same desire the Lord has for us: “You have said, ‘Seek my face.’ My heart says to you, ‘Your face, Lord, do I seek.’” (Psalm 27:8) God calls us to seek His face and our hearts cry back to Him. Our heart's true desire is to be in His presence all our days and to know His vast beauty and perfect nature. But how is this even possible? How was it possible for David, a man living before Jesus came to earth, to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth? How was it possible for him to dwell in the house of the Lord always and live from this place of worship and communion? We find the answer in Psalm 5:7 where David says, “But as for me, I will enter Your house through the abundance of Your steadfast love and mercy; I will worship at Your holy temple in reverent fear and awe of You.” David was acquainted with the nature of this good and merciful God. This is why, even when he did what was wrong in the eyes of God and committed sin, he knew he was able to approach the Lord with true repentance and that he would not be turned away by Him. It is only through the steadfast love and abundant mercy of God that we, like David, can enter into His holy presence and present ourselves in worship to Him. In fact, our worship is a response to seeing how good He is! Romans 12:1 says, “Beloved friends, what should be our proper response to God’s mercies? To surrender yourselves to God to be His sacred, living sacrifices. And live in holiness, experiencing all that delights His heart. For this becomes your genuine expression of worship.” God's desire is that we would be holy like Him and experience all His goodness, mercy, and love. Presenting ourselves to Him fully in surrender is the beginning of our worship and the most centric part of living a life of worship. Dwell on Romans 12:1 today as you worship the Lord in every moment of your day, recognizing that it is through His mercy alone, not through your works or good deeds, that you are able to encounter Him in moments of worship. Remember that you could not do anything to make yourself holy or clean enough to enter into the presence of God. He is rich in mercy and abounding in love, and it is from the place of remembering His nature that you will discover thankfulness springing up in your heart.