“Heartitude” of worship

Martha Olawale

“I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee. I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.” Psalm 138:1-2

Despite David’s despair in Psalm 43, his response in verse 4 acknowledges his delight and joy in God. He said, “Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.” I can relate because I started college during one of the most challenging times for my parents. My Dad retired unexpectedly, which upended the family lifestyle we were used to. Stepping into something vital for my life at such a time like that placed a lot of pressure on my young heart and made it tough for me. But for worship, I don’t know how I would have made it.

I could not afford a dorm room, so I was happy living with my sweet old god-grandmother. A rundown tape player in the room I used was my best possession. Although we only enjoyed electricity a few hours a day and sometimes lived without electricity for days, I maximized every second I got to fill my room with worship. I always had the tape on the floor beside my bed where my hand could reach it easily, even in the middle of the night.

I remember many days I’d sit in the room crying, unsure how to tackle the demands of the coming weeks, but worship kept me going. It reinforced my belief that Christ is mindful of my weariness and holding me. I knew that somehow, God would see me through each day until I reached the end of the road.

I can unequivocally state that worship got me through college and is getting me through life. It’s been decades since I lived in that little room with my rundown tape player, but my encounters with God during those difficult days form the core of my reliance on worship. God saw me through the hopelessness of that season of my life and gave me peace in His presence through worship. My encounters with the calming presence of God through prayer make it easier for my heart to respond to the sound of worship regardless of my situation.

Worship is a matter of your heart. It is not just the singing and melody that comes from the sweetest lungs or strings of the grandest harp. It’s personal, even in a crowd of a million people. We don’t have to sing it for our hearts to respond to it. Worship is the constant posture acknowledging the love and sovereignty of God and remembering that even if things are not what we believe they should be, God is still who He is."

Our circumstances don’t have to be perfect for our worship to be perfect. It doesn’t matter if we are at the top of the mountain or walking through a valley. We can be overwhelmed or elated. We can sit, stand, cry at Christ’s feet, or raise our hands to express surrender and gratitude in worship. When we understand the power of God’s presence through worship, our heart responds in awe of our maker.