Have you ever gone to church when you didn’t feel like going? I have. There are a lot of reasons that we might not want to go. Sometimes it’s because we don’t feel well, physically. Sometimes we might be mad at somebody there. Come on. Let’s get real. Am I right? Maybe we’re even mad at the pastor. Or maybe we’re feeling a distance from God. Maybe we don’t feel like worshiping Him. Maybe we’ve fallen into some sort of sin, and we feel like the last place we have the right to be is in church. Maybe we don’t think the church is “meeting our needs”, whatever that means.

Whatever the reason, today’s Psalms are great for reminding us that praising God is really a good thing to do. You know, when I don’t feel like going to church, and go anyway, and then allow myself to engage in worship…really lift up my heart and my voice to God in worship…my emotions and my spirit, and even my body (when I’m feeling under the weather) begin to feel better. We are primarily spiritual beings, made in the image of God, and when we worship Him in spirit and in truth we are rewarded with spiritual blessings. We are drawn closer to our Creator, and He responds to us by ministering to us in whatever manner we need at that time.

When we obediently bring our sacrifices of praise to God, not because we want something from Him, but because He deserves them, it is a way of reaching out to Him in a way that brings refreshment to our soul.

Yesterday was a day of frustration for me, but as I read these Psalms today, I couldn’t help but be encouraged and reminded of how great and deserving He is of my devotion and worship. I’m far from perfect, but He delights when I come to him saying, “Abba, Father, Daddy. I love you.”