Psalm 92 has a simple success formula for living life.
Worship!
This Psalm describes life with God…
But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon (v. 12, NLT).
Also, Psalm 92 depicts life without God…
Though the wicked sprout like weeds and evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed forever (v. 7).
The difference is worship. Praise separates a life seeking God and a life seeking perdition.
It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to the Most High (v. 1).
For decades, one of my favorite pastors has been Jack Hayford, a man of impeccable character and an example to many in following God.
I once interviewed Hayford for a magazine article during a lunch in a busy restaurant. It was a difficult interview because he wasn’t interested in talking about himself – he asked me questions about my life and ministry and then talked about how God could help both of us.
As I was reading Psalm 92 before writing this Interruption, I remembered two quotes by Hayford in his book, Majesty: God Enthroned In Our Worship.
I believe these quotes give insight into Psalm 92 and why we should worship.
For at its core, worship is not a kind of church service so much as an understanding of life: how to rule in life rather than being ruled by it, even when tragedy strikes.
At the root of God’s revelation to us, worship is the prerequisite for man’s living within the high possibilities and rich benediction of God’s plan.
Psalm 92 teaches…
It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening (v. 2).
O Lord, what great works you do! And how deep are your thoughts (v. 5).
Worship separates victory from frustration, pulls hope from the fallow, and grows peace from anxiety.
Psalm 92 sums up the possibility for all of us…
For the godly… they are transplanted to the house of the Lord. There they flourish. Even in old age, they will still produce fruit, they will remain vital and green. They will declare, “The Lord is just! He is my rock!” (vv. 12-15)
It’s too easy to grow old today.
You can be a child, a teenager, an adult, or a grandparent, and live tarnished by defeat. Or – you can grow in victory and find the peace and presence of God during trials.
Worship is the difference.