PSALM 40:11- As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me!

THEME OF THE DAY. FUEL FOR OUR WORSHIP. Please allow me a little “promotional push” before we get into today’s nugget. Take time soon and read all of Psalm 40. As you do, underline or take note of how often David breaks out in praise. It appears quite often. And take note of something else. In the midst of praise is the awareness of the depth of his sin. This is important and actually lets us know if we truly are encountering God in our worship. Remember, worship isn’t first a good feeling; some warm inward sensation that comes over us when hearing a gripping song or sermon. If our worship is focused on ourselves and experience, then it isn’t true worship of the living God. When the believer encounters God in worship, there is this overwhelming sense of one’s sinfulness, even being undone, immediately captured by the amazing grace and holy love of God. This was David’s experience in Psalm 40 – great heights of praise to God while knowing the great depths of his sinfulness before God. The Puritan pastor, John Flavel, wrote, “When the corn is nearly ripe it bows the head and stoops lower than when it was green. When the people of God are near ripe for heaven, they grow more humble and self-denying. Paul had one foot in heaven when he called himself the chief of sinners and least of saints”. And it must be so. We never know the graciousness of God that leads our entire being into true spiritual worship until we see the greatness of our offenses against such a God.

But there is another lesson in this Psalm about worship. David provides “fuel” or direction for our worship. Stay with me as we explore this life-altering truth. For worship to be true, it must be rooted in who God is; His being, His attributes which determine what He does. This is why churches and families must teach theology, doctrine, and stress God’s attributes. Without emphasizing the who God is above all other things, worship cannot be grounded in the One True and Living God. In today’s scripture David’s prayer to his God focuses on three of His attributes – mercy, love, and faithfulness – all three are “logs on the fire” of worship. All three of these are necessary components of salvation which is really God’s work of making a forever family of worshippers.

First, mercy is God looking down at rebellious sinners and not giving us what we deserve – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Peter 1:3). Mercy fuels worship because we see God’s patience, kindness, and pity upon us who deserve His wrath, not mercy.

Next, love is one of the chief motivators in God providing for our salvation – But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:4-6). When God’s love invades a soul in new birth, love now is reciprocated back to the God of our salvation. And really, worship is an expression of holy love back to our holy God who so loved us that He would save us.

Finally, God’s faithfulness ensures salvation started will be salvation completed – And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6). This is a very good “piece of wood” to stoke the fires of worship. Heaven is assured, not because we persevere on our own but because Christ perseveres for us and ensures our safe passage home.

Psalm 40 is full of worship and self-awareness. Let’s get alone with the Lord and allow it to fuel our worship of Him.

PRAYER: “Father, help me to see worship occurs when I remember Your mercy, love, and faithfulness.”

QUOTE: “God preserves us for Himself that we might be worshippers of Him for eternity.”