Living the Psalms

"But as for me, I will wait and hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more." (Psalm 71:14, Amplified)

C.S. Lewis once said, “The most valuable thing the Psalms do for me is to express the same delight in God which made David dance.”

And that is true.

Until you don’t feel like dancing, so then what?

The most valuable thing the Psalms do for me is to remember that it is OK and a good thing to be real before God, even when you don’t feel like dancing.

Down through the ages, the psalmists testify:

Real worship is not turning a blind eye to reality.

It is not dancing or singing or clapping based on “feeling it” or Sunday morning routine.

Because people can be mean. Life can be hard. Injustice can seem to be winning at every corner.

But as with the psalmists, for every:

“Why me?”

“This isn’t fair.”

“I’ve been following You and now this happens?”
“What they’re saying isn’t true, not even close.”

“They say one thing but do another—don’t You see that!?”

“I’m dying here, where are You?”

…Real worship is when Light suddenly breaks through the darkness.

And you follow it.

God never gets into a Q&A.

Over and over again, He simply, lovingly stirs within a reminder of what and Who is True and what truly matters:

“But I will keep hope alive,

    and my praise to You will grow exponentially.

I will bear witness to Your merciful acts;

    throughout the day I will speak of all the ways You deliver,

    although, I admit, I do not know the entirety of either.

I will come with stories of Your great acts, my Lord, the Eternal.

    I will remind them of Your justice, only Yours.

You have taught me since I was young, O God,

    and I still proclaim the wonderful things You have done.”

—Psalm 71:14-17, The Voice

Real worship, the psalmists remind us, is acknowledging the roar but then running to the Rock of refuge.

It is dancing on injustice.

It is shouting “Faithful and True!”

It is clapping with Heaven’s rhythm to break dark things that need to be broken.

It is singing “I am a child of God” and knowing that the battle is always the Lord’s...

…Real worship is when Light suddenly breaks through the darkness. And you follow it. Even today.