O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah. But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.

Psalm 3:1-3 (ESV)

David was going through one of the most difficult times of his life when he sang this psalm of salvation and restoration. His son Absalom has rebelled against him and is rallying the people to oppose David in order for Absalom to become king. David fled from Jerusalem and crossed the Jordan to Mahanaim in Gilead. David worshipped God in the midst of his great difficulty, knowing that God is Almighty and will surely see him through this dark period in his life.

The greatest worshippers are often the ones who go through the greatest trials.

Worship builds resilience and impacts everything in our lives. It opens our hearts and minds to a fresh perspective of God that gives us the confidence to trust Him again. Instead of being discouraged and saddened, David knew God would deliver him from those who opposed him. David spoke of God as his “glory” and “the lifter of his head”, believing God will fight his battle and win the victory for him. In this sense, worship is prophetic. This is because we are declaring the truth of God’s Word over our lives and circumstances, knowing He will turn everything to our good.

If you have done all in your power to change the situation and there is nothing else you can do, just worship and continue to rest in the Lord. The best worship sometimes happens in the worst moment. Jehoshaphat worshipped and danced before the Lord, and God delivered him from an adversary too great to vanquish in battle. Paul and Silas were spared from death in prison because God displayed His power through their worship and singing.

Worship is the starting point of wise living.

When we worship, we are recognising that we cannot go through life without God. As we continually thank God in spite of trying times, we will begin to realise His abundant mercies and kindness that were always present, but we had never noticed before.