A PASTORAL PONDERING
(Worship In The Wilderness)

What follows is a pondering from Psalm 63. For perspective there are a couple of comments I'd like you to read regarding the entire Psalm. They come to us through the voice(s) of our forefathers.

The first quote comes from Charles Surgeon out of his remarks in "The Treasury Of David". Spurgeon says, "David did not stop singing just because he was in the wilderness, nor, did he in slovenly idleness repeat Psalms intended for other occasions. He carefully made worship suitable to his circumstances and so presented God a wilderness hymn. Though there was a desert around him, there was no desert in his heart."

O my God, how I love the point-of-view that some of the old saints before us bring to the Word of Truth. Would that such a depth of desire and understanding were at work in our spiritually shallow and digitally distracted "contemporary hearts".

The second quote is found in the same book. It is a statement from John Donne. Relating to Psalm 63 he says, "certain Psalms are imperial Psalms; they command over all affections and spread themselves over all occasions that apply to all of life's needs."

Again, such reverence for Holy Scripture brings me to my knees. And, I am undone.

Now, here's what I have to say focused in on just 5 verses of this "wilderness psalm":

Here are three renderings of my favorite verses dealing with praise & worship:

”So here I am in the place of worship, eyes open, drinking in your strength and glory. In your generous love I am really living at last! My lips brim praises like fountains. I bless you every time I take a breath; my arms wave like banners of praise to you. I eat my fill of prime rib and gravy; I smack my lips. It's time to shout praises.” (Ps.63:3-7 / The Message Bible)

“Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise You. So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips. When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches, for You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy”. (Ps.63:5-7 / NASB)

“Your love means more than life to me, and I praise you. As long as I live, I will pray to you. I will sing joyful praises and be filled with excitement like a guest at a banquet. I think about you before I go to sleep, and my thoughts turn to you during the night. You have helped me, and I sing happy songs in the shadow of your wings”. (Ps.63:5-7 / Contemporary English Version)

This passage is the best one I know for modeling praise & worship for two specific reasons:

1. It provides the best Scriptural picture of the many ways in which dynamic, expressive and authentic praise & worship can be manifested in our lives as worshippers --- clustered together in one dynamic and passionate expression.
2. It also provides us with an understanding (from Scripture) as to what our personal motivation should be to offer up praise & worship as displayed in this text.

The motivation is found in the opening line of verse 3 which says, “Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life…”

That’s it -- short and sweet. Just seven words that present a very basic and easy to grasp theology. The psalmist says that God’s love is better than life itself and that’s enough reason (for him/for us) to offer up all the expression(s) that follow in verses 3-7.

v.3 – “My lips will praise” (The word praise is Shabach and it means to proclaim with a loud voice; a joyful earsplitting shout)
v.4 – “So I will bless You” (The word bless is Barak and it means to bow down; kneel; to respond with physical acts of adoration)
v.4b – “I will lift up my hands” (The word for lifting up the hands like this is Nacah and it means to bring forth; exalt; extol; to hold up (as honorable); to magnify or make lofty.
v.5b – “My mouth offers praise with joyful lips” (The word for praises is Halah and it means to boast; celebrate; to act (clamorously foolish); to rave (to go “wild for God”) and it’s usually congregational in nature; to jump for joy.
v.7 – “In the shadow of Thy wings I sing for joy” (The word for joy is Rana and it means a victory shout)

It is my personal belief that worship expressions which are presented to us in God's Word are meant to be incorporated into our own offerings of celebration and adoration (individually & corporately) whenever and whereever opportunities arise. That is the foundation "psalmic worship" is built upon.


"O GOD"

O God, You are my God
And I will forever praise You
O God, You are my God
I will place no other god above You

In a dry and weary land, where there's no water
I will build myself a stronghold out of praise
I will lift up holy hands before You, Father
I will worship You, for all Your awesome ways

Underneath the shadow, underneath the shadow of Your wings
(I will hide myself)
Underneath the shadow, underneath the shadow of Your wings
(I will sing for joy)



By: W. Berry / See & Say Songs, BMI


(See "Our Worship Model" posting under the "Worship Theology" link on the Worship Arts page).


Copyright Secured: See & Say (Songs & Such), BMI