Psalm 111: Lessons for Developing a Heart for Worship
Introduction: Psalm 111 might look like a typical praise psalm. But this psalm celebrates when the future Messiah (Ps. 110) will fulfill God’s promised Abrahamic covenant (Ps. 111:4). Using the Greek alphabet, Jesus called Himself the alpha and the omega: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” (Rev. 22:13). To foreshadow this, each stanza in this 22-stanza acrostic psalm begins with the next consecutive letter in the Hebrew alphabet, from a-z (א-ת'). Through the psalmist’s praises for God, this psalm reveals seven lessons for developing a heart for worshiping God. These include: (1) a love for God, (2) church worship, (3) remembrance, (4) gratitude, (5) trust, (6) praise, and (7) submission.
First, the psalmist declared that he would “give thanks to the Lord with all my heart.” Your worship should also begin with a sincere, heart-felt love for God. Second, the psalmist vowed to worship “in the company of the upright and in the assembly.” Your worship can be expressed when you are alone. But the Holy Spirit is present when two or more church members worship together. Third, the psalmist proclaimed, “He has caused His wonders to be remembered.” Your worship should also include remembrance for God’s amazing works. Fourth, just as God provided for His people throughout history, the psalmist promised that “He will remember His covenant forever.” Your worship should also express gratitude for God’s provision and His faithfulness. Fifth, the psalmist celebrated that “all His precepts are trustworthy.” Your worship should also include complete trust in God’s plans. Sixth, the psalmist praised God because He “sent redemption to His people.” Your worship should also include praise for Jesus’ redemptive work at the cross. Finally, the psalmist concluded by observing that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Your worship should also include full submission in reverent obedience.
1. Love: Worship Begins with a Heart-Felt Love for God. Ps. 111:1a.
Worship should be an expression of your love for God. The psalmist began by declaring his profound love for God: “1a Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart . . .” (Ps. 111:1a). “I will praise the Lord with my whole heart - With undivided affections; holding back nothing. I will allow nothing to be in my heart that would interfere with the fullness of praise; no coldness or dividedness of affection; no love for other things that would deaden my love for God; no suspicion respecting him that would chill my ardor; no unbelief that would drag me down to earth, while the language of my lips ascended to God.” (Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, Ps. 111:1a).1
David’s songs of praise for God all flowed from his love for Him. As our example, David frequently declared his heart-felt love for God as part of his regular worship songs: “A Psalm of David. I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders.” (Ps. 9:1). “I will give thanks to You, Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forever.” (Ps. 86:12). “A Psalm of David. I will give You thanks with all my heart; I will sing Your praises before the gods.” (Ps. 138:1).
Loving God is the greatest Commandment. When asked to identify the greatest of the Ten Commandments, Jesus stated that it was to love God with all your heart: “And He said to him, ‘you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.”’ (Matt. 22:37; Mk. 12:30; Lk. 10:27). “And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Dt. 6:5). “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,” (Dt. 10:12). When you love God with all your heart and soul, your worship will be both genuine and authentic.
Let your worship be an expression of your love for Jesus2
When you search God out with a loving heart, you will find Him. When you worship out of love, God’s will for you will also become clear: “But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.” (Dt. 4:29). “And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” (Jer. 29:13). “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matt. 7:7). If you can’t feel God’s presence or His guidance, examine your heart and make God your number one focus.
Love will also help you to obey and follow God. If you are not motivated by love, your vows to God will also be more difficult to fulfill: “Blessed are those who comply with His testimonies, and seek Him with all their heart . . .Give me understanding, so that I may comply with Your Law and keep it with all my heart.” (Ps. 119:2, 34). “And it shall come about, if you listen obediently to my commandments which I am commanding you today, to love the LORD your God and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul,” (Dt. 11:13). “This day the LORD your God commands you to perform these statutes and ordinances. Therefore you shall be careful to perform them with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Dt. 26:16). “[I]f you obey the LORD your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this Book of the Law, if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and soul.” (Dt. 30:10). If your service is not motivated by a love for God, you are more likely to drift away in your walk.
2. Church: Worship Is Best Expressed in a Church Community. Ps. 111:1b.
Worship is magnified when sung with a community of believers. The psalmist believed that his intense love for God would be best expressed through public worship with his fellow believers: “1b. . .in the company of the upright and in the assembly.” (Ps. 111:1b). “The praise would be wholehearted, but it would also be public. Praising God with others showed that the psalmist gloried in the praises of God; praising God with others was also a help and encouragement to praise Him. The word for assembly and the word for congregation indicate different size groups. Assembly refers to a smaller, private group – something like our modern small group. Congregation refers to the larger gatherings of God’s people.” (David Guzik on Ps. 111:1b) (emphasis in original).3
Supplement your individual worship by worshiping with other believers4
David frequently sang his praises for God with a community of believers. Worship can and should be expressed individually. But the Holy Spirit is present and can be felt when two or more gather in Jesus’ name (Matt. 18:20). David also understood and frequently preached the value of community worship: “I will proclaim Your name to my brothers; in the midst of the assembly I will praise You.” (Ps. 22:22; Heb. 2:12). “My foot stands on level ground; in the congregations I will bless the LORD.” (Ps. 26:12). “I will give You thanks in the great congregation; I will praise You among a mighty people.” (Ps. 35:18). “I have proclaimed good news of righteousness in the great congregation; behold, I will not restrain my lips, LORD, You know.” (Ps. 40:9). “Bless God in the congregations, even the LORD, you who are of the fountain of Israel.” (Ps. 68:26). “They shall also exalt Him in the congregation of the people, and praise Him at the seat of the elders.” (Ps. 107:32). “With my mouth I will give thanks abundantly to the LORD; and I will praise Him in the midst of many.” (Ps. 109:30). “Praise the LORD! Sing a new song to the LORD, and His praise in the congregation of the godly ones.” (Ps. 149:10). If you skip worship at the beginning of church, you are missing out on the Spirit’s presence.
3. Remembrance: Worship God For His Amazing Works. Ps. 111:2-4.
Worship should include remembering God’s blessings. The psalmist also exhorted believers to celebrate God’s works, both physical and spiritual, as part of their regular worship: “2 Great are the works of the Lord; they are studied by all who delight in them. 3 Splendid and majestic is His work, and His righteousness endures forever. 4 He has caused His wonders to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and compassionate.” (Ps. 111:2-4). “Many are ignorant of what their Creator has done, and hence they are foolish in heart, and silent as to the praises of God: this evil can only be removed by a remembrance of God’s works, and a diligent study of them; to this, therefore, the psalm is meant to arouse us. It may be called The Psalm of God’s Works intended to excite us to the work of praise.” (Charles Spurgeon on Ps. 111) (emphasis in original).5
Celebrate God’s great works as part of your worship. The psalmist frequently vowed to meditate on and praise God’s works: “I shall remember the deeds of the LORD; I will certainly remember Your wonders of old. I will meditate on all Your work, and on Your deeds with thanksgiving.” (Ps. 77:11-12). “Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of all His wonders.” (Ps. 105:2). “Make me understand the way of Your precepts, and I will meditate on Your wonders.” (Ps. 119:27). “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your accomplishments; I reflect on the work of Your hands.” (Ps. 143:5). “On the glorious splendor of Your majesty and on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.” (Ps. 145:5). If you fail to celebrate God’s works, you may take Him for granted.
Praise God for blessing His people out of grace and compassion. God’s works are motivated out of His love for His people: “the Lord is gracious and compassionate.” (Ps. 111:4b). “But You, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abundant in mercy and truth.” (Ps. 86:15; 103:8). “Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, ‘The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in faithfulness and truth;”’ (Ex. 34:6; Nu. 14:18). None of your blessings are earned. Thus, God deserves your praise for His grace and compassion.
Celebrating God’s works also helps to boost your faith. Celebrating God’s works through your worship also helps to boost your faith: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” (Ro. 10:17). If you fail to sing praises for God’s amazing works, you are more likely to turn to the world instead of God in a crisis. You can boost your faith and help others by keeping a journal of God’s answered prayers.
4. Gratitude: Worship Should Give Thanks for God’s Faithfulness. Ps. 111:5-6.
Worship God by thanking Him for His faithfulness and His provision. Just as God has faithfully provided for His people throughout history, His promised Messiah will fulfill His Abrahamic covenant: “5 He has given food to those who fear Him; He will remember His covenant forever. 6 He has made known to His people the power of His works, in giving them the inheritance of the nations.” (Ps. 111:5-6). “The manna may be primarily in the writer's mind, but he is also thinking of the ‘food given to all flesh’ (Psalm 136:25) continually. He will ever be mindful of his covenant. The covenant with Abraham, made ‘to a thousand generations’ (Psalm 105:8).” (Pulpit Commentary on Ps. 111).6
God was faithful to remember His covenant with Abraham. As evidence by God’s provision for His people, the psalmist promised: “He will remember His covenant forever.” (Ps. 111:5). “I will not violate My covenant, nor will I alter the utterance of My lips.” (Ps. 89:34). “He has remembered His covenant forever, the word which He commanded to a thousand generations,” (Ps. 105:8). “For the LORD your God is a compassionate God; He will not abandon you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.” (Dt. 4:31). “Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His faithfulness to a thousand generations for those who love Him and keep His commandments;” (Dt. 7:9).
Jesus is also faithful to fulfill His New Covenant. Jesus is the promised Messiah, High Priest, and King of Kings (Ps. 110) who will fulfill the Old Testament Abrahamic covenant (Gen. 12:1-3). He will also fulfill the New Covenant of eternal life in the New Testament: “God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Cor. 1:9). “Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will do it.” (1 Thess. 5:24). “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” (2 Thess. 3:3). Thus, Jesus is worthy of your praise and worship.
God’s covenant faithfulness forms the central verse in this Hebrew chiasm of praise.7
5. Trust: Worship Should Include Complete Trust in God’s Plans. Ps. 111:7-8.
God Word is true, just, perfect, and trustworthy. The psalmist further declared his trust in God’s Word as just and fair: “7 The works of His hands are truth and justice; all His precepts are trustworthy. 8 They are upheld forever and ever; they are performed in truth and uprightness.” (Ps. 111:7-8). “He is no fickle despot, commanding one thing one day and another [on a different day], but his commands remain absolutely unaltered, their necessity equally unquestionable, their excellence permanently proven, and their reward eternally secure.” (Charles Spurgeon on Ps. 111:7).8
God’s Word is perfect and trustworthy. Throughout the Bible, God’s works and His Word are affirmed to be true, just, faithful, and perfect: “Or what great nation is there that has statutes and judgments as righteous as this whole Law which I am setting before you today?” (Dt. 4:8). “The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; a God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and just is He.” (Dt. 32:4). “As for God, His way is blameless; the word of the LORD is refined; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.” (2 Sam. 22:31). “The words of the LORD are pure words; like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, filtered seven times.” (Ps. 12:6). “As for God, His way is blameless; the word of the LORD is refined; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.” (Ps. 18:30). “The Law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.” (Ps. 19:7). “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; mercy and truth go before You.” (Ps. 89:14). “Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.” (Prov. 30:5). Thus, your worship should include trusting God’s perfect plans for your life.
Trust God and not your own understanding. God wants you to trust in His plans above your own understandings or feelings. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.” (Prov. 3:5; 28:26; Ps. 62:8). “Trust in the LORD forever, for in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.” (Is. 26:4). When you are facing doubt, you can trust God’s Word and pray for the Holy Spirit to apply it to guide your steps. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Ps. 119:105).
God’s Word never changes and will be fulfilled. The psalmist also proclaimed that God’s Word will endure forever: “8 They are upheld forever and ever; . ..” (Ps. 111:8). This also affirmed throughout the Bible: “Forever, LORD, Your word stands in heaven . . . The sum of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments is everlasting.” (Ps. 119:89, 160). “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.” (Is. 40:8). “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter shall pass from the Law, until all is accomplished!” (Matt. 5:18; Lk. 21:33). “But the Word of the Lord endures forever.’ And this is the word which was preached to you.” (1 Pet. 1:25). Thus, you should trust in God’s Word. His Word never changes, and Jesus will fulfill every promise.
6. Praise: Worship Should Include Praise For Jesus’ Redemption. Ps. 111:9.
Praise God for His works of redemption. As a foreshadow of Jesus, the psalmist praised God for His redemption of His people throughout history: “9 He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever; Holy and awesome is His name.” (Ps. 111:9). “The psalmist resolves to praise God himself. Our exhortations and our examples should agree together . . . The works of God, humbly and diligently sought into, shall all be found just and holy. God’s pardoning sin is the most wonderful of all his works, and ought to be remembered to his glory.” (Matthew Henry on Ps. 111).9
God was faithful to redeem His people from bondage. The history of the Jews shows that you can trust in God’s promises to redeem you from bondage, affliction and eternal death: “Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the labors of the Egyptians, and I will rescue you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments.” (Ex. 6:6). “but because the LORD loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the LORD brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” (Dt. 7:8). “Israel, wait for the LORD; for with the LORD there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption.” (Ps. 130:7).
Praise Jesus for redeeming you at the cross. This psalm also foreshadows Jesus’ redemptive work at the cross: Before Jesus’ birth Zechariah prophesied: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people,” (Lk. 1:68). “and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 Jo. 2:2). “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 Jo. 4:10). “There are many, many examples of the amazing words of the LORD, but those attached to His work of redemption come to the fore. And if that was true of Israel’s experience in Egypt, how much more for the believer today who has been set from bondage of sin and the world, entered into an eternal covenant through Christ Jesus, and has found that the Lord of the covenant is faithful to His people. The Church accordingly has used this psalm at Easter and Eucharistic services, because the redemption provided by Jesus Christ includes His resurrection from the dead, guaranteeing that the promises of the covenant are sure, and that our redemption is eternal.” (Allen Ross on Ps. 111).10
7. Submission: Worship Should Include Reverent Obedience. Ps. 111:10.
Let obedience be the fruit of your faith. The psalmist urged believers to make obedience a part of their worship: “10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who follow His commandments have a good understanding; His praise endures forever.” (Ps. 111:10). “The meaning seems to be that ‘the beginning of wisdom is not found in keen insight, nor wide experience, nor the learn-hag of the schools, but in the temper of reverence and awe. The fear of the finite in the presence of the Infinite, of the sinful in the presence of the Holy, self-abhorring, adoring, as in Job’s confession - this for the Israelite was the starting-point of all true wisdom.”’ (Pulpit Commentary on Ps. 111).11
Honor God in worship by submitting to Him and obeying Him. The psalmist stated that a reverent fear for God should also motivate believers to “follow His commandments . . .” (Ps. 111:10). Moses also drew the connection between “fearing God”, “loving Him” and “obeying” Him: “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,” (Dt. 10:12). “So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’” (Dt. 4:6). “so that you, your son, and your grandson will fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged.” (Dt. 6:2).
Reverent fear leading to obedience also leads to wisdom. The psalmist concluded that: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;” (Ps. 111:10). After squandering God’s blessings of intelligence and wealth, Solomon reached the same conclusion: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Prov. 1:7). “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Prov. 9:10). Based upon his mistakes, he also exhorted believers to let their reverent fear of God lead to obedience: “The conclusion, when everything has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.” (Ecc. 12:13). The prophet Samuel also urged believers in his farewell address to let their fear of God lead to obedience: “Only fear the LORD and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.” (1 Sam. 12:24). Job was considered “blameless” because his reverent fear of God led him to always obey: “There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.” (Job 1:1). Fearing the Lord is defined in the Bible as “hating” what God calls evil (Prov. 8:13).
Jesus is not your Lord if you refuse to do what He says. When your faith does not produce the fruit of obedience, it is time to examine your heart: “Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.” (Jam. 2:17). A believer may proclaim Jesus as Lord. But He is not your Lord if you disobey Him: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.” (Matt. 7:21). “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Lk. 6:46). “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.” (Jam. 1:22). “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matt. 7:24). “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.” (Matt. 7:26). Is your faith evidenced through obedience to Jesus’ Word?
