In last week’s post, I pointed out how the apostle Paul connects praise and proclamation. Songs and sermons are more similar than we might imagine. Worship has an educational dimension and recognizing this will benefit our church services. God has given us worship and the Word and we should enjoy them both!
But Paul wasn’t blazing a new path when he wrote about what I called “wise worship.” It hearkens back to the Old Testament. Reading through the Psalms, I found 16 references which join praising the Lord and honoring His Word. That’s a big list for a blog post, but I’ve organized these verses into six categories which should help us to understand how these blessings reinforce each other.
Vocal
“I will proclaim Your name to my brothers; in the midst of the assembly I will praise You.” – Psalm 22:22
“Who can speak of the mighty deeds of the LORD, or can proclaim all His praise?” – Psalm 106:2
Praise is verbal, but it doesn’t have to be musical. We can worship God without singing to Him. To praise an individual means to speak well of or to exalt a person. When we praise people, we often tell stories about them and repeat all the good things they did. We celebrate their character and hold it up as an example worth following.
In the same way, these verses encourage us to boast in the Lord, to brag about Him. To do this requires that we know who He is and what He’s done. Without the testimony of the Word, our praise will ring hollow. But founded on Scripture, it will resound with authenticity and power!
Response
“Then they believed His words; they sang His praise.” – Psalm 106:12
“Let my lips pour out praise, for You teach me Your statutes.” – Psalm 119:171
When God does something, we react. When He reveals something, we respond. We glorify the Lord as He shows us His amazing grace. Praise is an appropriate reaction to God’s thoughts and deeds.
Singing the Word
“I will also praise You with a harp, and Your truth, my God; I will sing praises to You with the lyre, Holy One of Israel.” – Psalm 71:22
“They shall also offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of His works with joyful singing.” – Psalm 107:22
“Let my tongue sing about Your word, for all Your commandments are righteousness.” – Psalm 119:172
Songs teach; they can and should communicate a message. While the Lord isn’t ordering us to sing our Bible studies, there’s value in chanting Scripture and embedding the gospel in our worship. Without the Bible, praise becomes only emotional, depending on music rather than revelation to lead and inspire.
Benefits
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who follow His commandments have a good understanding; His praise endures forever.” – Psalm 111:10
“Praise the LORD! Blessed is a person who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in His commandments.” – Psalm 112:1
“Let my soul live that it may praise You, and let Your ordinances help me.” – Psalm 119:175
Of course, God does care about our emotional well-being. He’s concerned about every aspect of our lives. When we practice wise worship, we grow. Baring our souls to the Lord, we open ourselves to receiving His care and correction. Praising the Lord through His Word makes us more like Jesus because we’re developing as disciples.
Honor
“Not to us, LORD, not to us, but to Your name give glory, because of Your mercy, because of Your truth.” – Psalm 115:1
“Praise the LORD, all nations; sing His praises, all peoples! 2For His mercy toward us is great, and the truth of the LORD is everlasting. Praise the LORD!” – Psalm 117
“All the kings of the earth will give thanks to You, LORD, when they have heard the words of Your mouth. 5And they will sing of the ways of the LORD, for great is the glory of the LORD.” – Psalm 138:4-5
Have you ever sang at church while your mind was miles away? Or you zoned out in the middle of a message? Or you read the Bible while crafting a to-do list in your head? We’re easily distracted! We don’t have to condemn ourselves on these occasions, but we do have to stand guard over our thoughts.
Yet when we grasp how important a situation or a person is, we drop everything else and concentrate.
When we worship God in line with biblical truth, we honor Him. And each time we do, we learn a little more about how great He is. Our gratitude for Christ’s death and resurrection grows. Our appreciation for the presence of the Holy Spirit deepens. We begin to reorient our lives around the Father’s will. We want to know Him and nothing less will satisfy us.
He is worthy.
Timing
“At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You because of Your righteous judgments.” – Psalm 119:62
“Seven times a day I praise You because of Your righteous judgments.” – Psalm 119:164
“To execute against them the judgment written. This is an honor for all His godly ones. Praise the LORD!” – Psalm 149:9
Rhythm and tempo keep music from becoming chaotic noise. Logic and outlines make ideas comprehensible. There’s a sense of timing in worship and in God’s Word.
Through these patterns, Jesus disciplines us to handle the flow of time. It’s easy to get impatient when we want God to act and He seems to delay. It’s also tempting to put off what He’s asking us to do. Our schedules don’t align with the Lord’s very often!
But Word-centered praise cultivates patience and performance. Together with our brothers and sisters in Christ, we learn to align ourselves with God’s timing. We rest when we need to and we act when it’s right.
Conclusion
Worship and the Word belong together. Each feeds into and enriches the other. What Paul advocated for disciples of Jesus derives from the practice of Jewish dedication as reflected in the psalms. We Christians have little reason to neglect our heritage. And we have every motivation to integrate both in our spiritual lives.
When we do, we hear the voice of the Lord, spoken and sung.
Praise Him always!
