Wednesday, January 4, 2023
EARLY TO WORSHIP
Ps 57:7-11
7 My heart is fixed, O
God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give
praise.
8 Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.
9 I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations.
10 For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the
clouds.
11 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above
all the earth.
It is likely that this psalm
celebrates David’s escape from King Saul in the cave at Engedi. Pursued by an
insanely jealous king, David and his small band of men hid in a cave near the dead
sea. In the darkness of this cave Saul sought a privy to relieve himself. While
he was thus indisposed, David thought to eliminate his enemy. He approached
with the short sword and was abruptly reminded that it was God who sets up kings
and puts them down. He cut off a piece of Saul’s garment as proof of his opportunity
and God’s sovereignty.
Now he sings, as he was accustomed to
do with his sheep. Under the stars with hand-held harp, he composes a song of
worship and thanksgiving. More prose than poetry, his heart soared to the
heavens.
He rises early to view the sun because
worship often invades sleep. True worship needs none of the implements so
common to church worship. It needs not to stand. Most often it needs to kneel.
Lit only by the morning, true worship needs no smoke nor colored lights. It
needs no choreography. Moistened by the tears of repentance and gratitude, true
worship salves the parched heart.
The worshipping heart is firm in resolve
having considered and rejected all but honesty. Finding truth, worship
acknowledges it as larger than anything that might attempt to contain it. It
overflows and spills out. It bursts the dam of doubt and fills the heart with
gladness.
Great God, I worship Thee not because I am led
to do so but because I can do no other. Let Thy glory be above all the earth.
AMEN
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