Back to Grace
God’s sojourners pursue ministry goals and realize His approval and reward. The last two Psalms of Ascent will declare the importance of unity in worship and continual service that is the fruit of true worship. But before these corporate aspects are possible, every member of the congregation must get his or her heart in tune with God’s desire for His worshippers.
Main Points: Part 1: David’s oath, intentions, and zeal to restore proper worship (verses 1-9).
David’s soul was devastated when God’s people couldn’t worship in the way He intended. The Ark of the Covenant represented God’s presence among His people, which should be the center of worship. God should be worshipped in the way He prescribes, a way that mirrors His character. Our ministry goals should be based in Scripture and accompanied by plans to fulfill them. Practical action and meaningful ministry will brings about the spiritual maturity and consequently the joy of God’s people. The full scope of your ministry goals may remain unrealized in your lifetime, but they will be carried on by the next faith-filled generation through discipleship. David still prepared as much as he could for the building of the Temple, even though he knew he would not build it himself.
Interlude: A prayer for God’s favor (verse 10).
Part 2: God’s oath to David and zeal to bless His people (verses 11-18).
God responds to a heart that desires to do right and acts on it. He will bless those who first seek to honor Him, and He will bless them above and beyond what we could imagine! God never makes a promise He cannot keep. We will have His help in pursuing ministry goals that honor Him, insofar as we are unified and serving Him biblically. He has given us His presence, supply for our needs, sufficient Scripture, a blueprint for our mission, and much more! The end of this psalm contains promises of God’s Kingdom to come. We can rejoice in these if we are part of the King. You can’t be part of the Kingdom if the King isn’t also a part of you!
Application Points A heart like David’s will receive a similar response from God. This psalm offers a practical way to experience God’s approval and rewards.
Are you involved in ministry and service in the local church? Do you do these things for the sake of religious busy-ness or spiritual influence? Do you seek to disciple and “rub off” on those you interact with?
A wise person considers the future and plans for it. Do you have spiritual and ministry-focused goals or intentions for 2013?
Have you been “orbiting” the church too long? God longs to bless His people in ways we’ve never seen before, but He waits for His people’s readiness. Could you be a person holding back the work God wants to do in a certain area?
What devastates your soul? Where is your spiritual passion or zeal aroused? How can you act on what God has put within you, and even spread that to other Christians around you?
Tools for Further Study Cross References to Explore: Psalm 24 and 68 also speak of entering God’s presence for worship Philippians 3:20-21 – we are members of a Heavenly coming kingdom 2 Samuel 7:4-17 – God’s promises to David Matthew 1 – fulfillment of God’s promises through the Messiah
Quotes to Ponder: author in 1938: “The rule of man has been characterized with irreconcilable ambitions and conflicts of interests. The brains of man have been dedicated to the production of military machines and accoutrements for the scattering of death and desolation among the inhabitants of the earth. Man has looked for peace and found war; he’s talked of brotherhood and love and has seen hatred and persecution; he’s boasted of civilization, enlightenment, and progress, and the so-called heathen have upbraided him for his godly practices. He’s spent billions of dollars for war, millions for pleasure, and he has no promise of improvement. And as it was, so it is, and will be until King Jesus comes back. There has not been a period since the Fall of Man in which the race has enjoyed or witnessed a condition which prophecy declares shall be obtained in the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ to come.”