Art of Appreciation
Appreciation is the art of letting someone know that you value their gesture or whatever it is they’ve done. The Art of Appreciation is …the art of praising God!
Praise refers to lifting God up, Showing Appreciation to Him. It is the joyful recounting of what God has done for us.
Praise, Appreciation and Thanksgiving go hand in hand as thanking God and offering appreciation to him for who he is. Praise is the acknowledgment of all the wonderful, righteous deeds of God because He is worthy of our praise (Psalm 18:3).
The Art of Appreciation is the art of praising God.
Let’s use King David as a case study!
How did David Worship?
Studying David’s worship life taught me that to please God, it’s not enough to say or do certain things – our hearts must be in the right place first. David’s words and actions reveal characteristics of the kind of worship that pleases God.
- David Was a Broken Worshipper
“…you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise” (Psalm 51:16-17).
The NIV translation of this Psalm has a note at the top, “When the prophet Nathan came to him after David committed adultery with Bathsheba.” This story tells how David made a series of terrible choices that “displeased the Lord” (1 Samuel 17:26).
In a word, he sinned. When he was finally rebuked by Nathan, David humbled himself to admit, “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Samuel 12:13). This painful time brought about a new humility in David, and a greater understanding of his need for God’s mercy.
I stumble and sin every day, and it is reassuring to know that like David, I can seek and receive forgiveness from a God who loves me. As I experience the grace of my Heavenly Father, my heart is filled with gratitude, which always leads to sincere and meaningful times of worship.
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David was a Focused Worshipper
“You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you” (Psalm 63:1-5).
This Psalm was written when David was hiding from his enemies, possibly his son Absalom, in the Desert of Judah. He was probably quite lonely, and unsure about his future. But none of his feelings or concerns changed his decision to worship. He kept his eyes fixed on his God, looking up rather than around him.
As I go through my day, I want to be as decisive about praise as David. No matter what might be trying to distract me, I can realign my focus back to God. Prayer, remembering God’s works, even singing a hymn or chorus will help keep my attention on the One who deserves my worship.
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David was a Passionate Worshipper
“So, David went down and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. When those who were carrying the ark of the Lord had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf.
David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the Lord with all his night, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets” (2 Samuel 6:12-15).
This passage shows us a man so engaged in worshipping God that nothing else matters. Others, namely his wife Michal, disapproved of his behavior, calling him vulgar. But David didn’t apologize for his passion, responding, “I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this” (2 Samuel 21-22). He knew the power of fully embracing the act of giving glory to God.
One of my goals in worship is to be fully engaged – heart, soul, mind and strength. That might mean an outwardly bigger display while I’m with other people, but it could just as easily be a personal quiet time where I fully give myself over to lifting God up. It’s alright if other people don’t understand or approve, as long as I know that God is pleased.
We Can Try Some of David’s Worshipful Actions
In 1 Chronicles 16, David gives instructions to Asaph and his associates on how to praise the Lord. This passage is full of what I call “worship verbs,” or actions that David believed could bring honor to God.
I found this passage to be a great jumpstart for my times of both corporate and individual worship. This is just a small list of ideas David puts forth:
- -Give Praise
- -Proclaim his name
- -Sing to him
- -Remember the wonders he has done
- -Declare his glory among the nations
- -Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength
- -Give thanks to the Lord
- -Cry out “Save us, God our Savior”
Everything David thought, felt and did was motivated by a desire to give glory to his Heavenly Father. For him, worship was a natural reflex, and in a way, as vital as breathing.
I’m so glad for King David’s example that can help all of us grow in both our worship and faith lives.
I Urge us as brothers and sisters in Christ to continue and intensify our art of appreciation so that God will know that we are not ingrates.
