The Benefits of Worship • Psalm 63:1-11
By Sydney Charlton
I have a deep love and appreciation for old hymns because each familiar tune and lyric beckons me to recall memories from my childhood. My grandfather braced me with his large hands as I stood on the pew to sing between him and my grandmother at their church on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. For years, I could be found standing with my mom and grandmother during Easter sunrise services at my grandmother’s church, declaring that we indeed serve a Risen Savior Who is in the world today! I surrendered to Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior during Vacation Bible School as we sang “Onward Christian Solider.”
Hymns are important, as are modern praise and worship songs. Each lyric, note, and varying style testifies to God’s character and allows us to join the echoes of worship that have rung true for over two thousand years. Though we are bent to specific styles of worship based on our different personalities, worship really isn’t about us at all.
There are numerous benefits of worship. Worship reveals God’s holiness and our desperate need for Him. When we worship, holy God moves toward us — unholy people. He longs for us to know Him, and He draws closer to His children when we humbly acknowledge He is all we need.
In Francis Chan’s book, Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God, he said, “God will not be tolerated. He instructs us to worship and fear Him. In our world, where hundreds of things distract us from God, we have to intentionally and consistently remind ourselves of Him. Because we don’t often think about the reality of who God is, we quickly forget that He is worthy to be worshiped and loved. We are to fear Him.”
The more we worship God, the more we understand how different He is than us. Right fear and awe of Him only come when we rightly worship Him.
Psalm 63:1-5
Now that I am older and have children of my own, I often sing those familiar hymns during bedtime routines. You see, worship doesn’t only occur in sanctuaries and worship centers on Sunday mornings. When we live our lives acknowledging God’s provision and His goodness and love toward us, we follow the example of David.
David’s life was full of complications and disrupted plans, like ours often are. Yet, David continually acknowledged that God alone satisfies our soul. David was well acquainted with heartache and was familiar with prestige, but in every season, David saw that God was the One worthy of all praise. No matter our circumstances, God is worthy of our worship!
Psalm 63:6-8
If you have walked with the Lord for any length of time, there have likely been seasons where you often prayed, “Lord, help!” It is good news that the same right hand that upheld David is holding us! We need His help in our relationships, in our finances, in our careers, and in every other scenario imaginable.
God is the perfect Father, always ready and willing to rescue us and come to our aid. He is our Helper! We don’t have to scream “HELP!” and wonder if He hears; we know He inclines His ear to hear what we need (Psalm 116:2, ESV). He is not like us. He doesn’t have to take time to fully wake from His slumber to rush to our side in the middle of the night. We have assurance when we worship knowing that He hears and He moves on our behalf.
Psalm 63:9-11
David was confident in God’s faithfulness and justice because David knew Him. When we commit to strengthening any relationship, time is essential. David’s relationship with God was strong because he prioritized spending time in God’s presence. He knew God’s character and he had seen His power on display.
When we, too, commit to dwell in God’s presence we find the same holy confidence in God’s ability to protect His children. By knowing God personally, we know His faithfulness, love, grace, and compassion.
Worshipping God is far more than song selection or choosing lighting for the stage. Worship allows us to confidently declare that God is completely holy and rejoice in His saving power at work in our lives.
Charlton is the OneHope Missions Assistant at Crossgates Baptist Church, Brandon.
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