Remembering and Rejoicing Together
Have you ever walked into your church’s worship service distracted, numb, grieving, or maybe just weighed down? You stumble in and find your seat, and then the music swells and the people stand and the voices around you proclaim the truth of who God is… You find your numb and distant heart recalling the truth. You feel your soul lifting in praise to the Lord as you sing back the words that you know are true (even if your heart takes some time to catch up). This is the beauty of liturgy and of corporate worship—it calls us back to what we know is true, and it tethers us to the body of Christ and the gospel that unites us.
In this week’s episode, we’re looking at the liturgical psalms, which are the psalms that lend themselves most easily to public worship in a community gathering. These psalms are full of joy, hope, and proclamations of who God is, as his people call to each other: Remember and rejoice! We pray that this episode reminds you of the truth of God’s character and that it compels you to join hands with your brothers and sisters in the body of Christ as you offer worship and praise to the Lord together.
LITURGICAL PSALMS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP
The liturgical psalms are the psalms that lend themselves most easily to public worship in a community gathering. These psalms are full of joy and hope and proclamations of who God is, as his people call to each other: Remember and rejoice!
Whether we’re in a season of waiting or staring down an unknown or looming future, even when our hearts are not naturally inclined to praise…Psalm 47 reminds us that there is always reason to praise and give thanks.
God is above all. He is supreme. He is the King over all the earth. He is to be feared. He is faithful. He is sitting on his holy throne. He fights for us. He chose us. He has infinite power. Therefore we have joy.
“What jubilation is here, when five times over the whole earth is called upon to sing to God! He is worthy, He is Creator, He is goodness itself… He never ceases to be good, let us never cease to be grateful…let His sovereignty be the fount of gladness.” - Charles Spurgeon on Psalm 47
The psalmist charges us to sing praises to God because of who He is, not because of how we feel.
When life is dull and ordinary, sing praises. When life is confusing and unknown, sing praises. When life is difficult and painful, sing praises. Our God’s good and faithful and sovereign character is unchanging. He has always been and will always be these things so we always have reason to praise.
Being in Christ does not shelter us from life’s difficulties. He is not a protector or a refuge from the bad things in life. Instead he is a refuge and strength during the trials of life.
Trials will come. But we have a steady and sure anchor of hope and strength. We have a God who is near in the midst of those trials.
Just as the psalmist was able to trust in the character and promises of God, we too are able to trust—and call one another to trust—that God is working all things for our good and for his glory and that Christ will return and set all things right.
We need not be praiseless because we are in a season of sorrow or trial. Instead, we can allow our pain to bring praise to our lips as we are reminded that our Savior understands our weakness, deals gently with us, and has ultimately born all brokenness so that we can be made right with God, so that we can be guaranteed to be free from pain and brokenness in eternity. He is with us in our pain, and he is our only true comfort and rest.
Friend, may you join hands with the body of Christ as you offer worship and praise to the Lord. May you find your faith strengthened as you look to and are encouraged by your brothers and sisters who call God’s Word to mind amidst trials. And may you—together—abound more and more in the love and knowledge of our good God.
RESOURCES
In the Lord I Take Refuge: 150 Daily Devotions Through the Psalms
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Have you ever found it difficult to urge your heart to worship? What could you do right now to lift your eyes in praise even if you don’t feel like praising God?
Think of someone you know whose heart may not feel like praising God right now. How could you help them remember God’s goodness and rejoice?
How has corporate worship urged you toward hope when you might not feel hopeful?
Who might you reach out to today to practice remembering and rejoicing God together?
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IMPORTANT NOTE
Journeywomen interviews are intended to serve as a springboard for continued study in the context of your local church. While we carefully select guests each week, interviews do not imply Journeywomen's endorsement of all writings and positions of the interviewee or any other resources mentioned.
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