Special times of praise and celebration are good to have, but you cannot live on these experiences. A satisfying walk with the Lord depends on daily worship of the Lord. That is why David assigned Asaph and the Levites their work in the ministry of worship “as every day’s work required” (v. 37). Sacrifice and praise were parts of their daily service, as they should be in your life.
The main thing is to focus on the Lord, and David did just that in the special psalm he wrote. (For parallels, see Pss. 96; 105.) “The Lord” is named fourteen times as David reminds the people of God’s works (vv. 8–13), God’s words (vv. 14–22) and God’s wonder (vv. 23–36)—His glory, greatness, and goodness. The excitement of the day would disappear, but the inspired song of praise would remain for all generations to use in worshiping God.
But after you have worshiped, remember to witness to the lost (v. 23) and to do your part in getting the Gospel out to the nations of the world (vv. 24, 31). Archbishop William Temple pointed out the essential nature of worship: “For to worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God.”
