Blog
Quiet Worship
This post by Abby Huffstutler comes from Gospel Meditations on the Psalms (Day 17).
READ PSALM 65
“By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation.” (Psalm 65:5)
When I think of quiet worship experiences, my mind recalls beautiful outdoor places where I’ve been able to retreat, hear nothing but nature, and slow down to contemplate and praise the Lord.
“There will be silence before You and praise in Zion, O God,” David writes in Psalm 65:1 (NASB). Pulling away from the sounds of this chaotic world to find a calm space helps me regain an awe of the Lord and a reverence of Him. In the noise I cannot praise Him as I can in the silence.
God is the Prayer-Hearer.
Having established a quiet worship context in Psalm 65:1, David moves to prayer. He addresses God as One Who hears our cries (v. 2), and he talks with the Lord about several things (vv. 2–4).
He bemoans the very real fact of his fight with sin. He also remembers that God atones for and forgives sin—a truth especially precious to us who live after Jesus’ sacrifice.
He feels blessed that he has been chosen to come near to God, and he rejoices that worship in God’s house is so satisfying and good.
And then David just keeps going. His praise song breaks open into a list of God-facts he wants to tell the Lord and recite for all of us.
- You do awesome deeds, God (v. 5).
- You respond to us in righteousness (v. 5).
- You set up mountains and calm loud, stormy seas (vv. 6–7).
- You bring peace in human conflicts (v. 8).
- You make sunrise and sunset to shout beauty to us (v. 8).
Do you feel compelled to comment every time you see a beautiful sky?! I do!
God is the Master-Cultivator.
Now David is on a roll, and he can’t stop. He tells God, You make it rain—sending water to the exact spots on Earth that need it (v. 9). You soften the ground, channel the rainwater toward dry regions, bringing fertility and growth and bounty (vv. 10–11)!
The reality is that we can live nearly anywhere in this world and see gorgeous landscapes and productive farms. I live in the American Midwest, where herds and crops are still thriving! Agribusiness is God’s business, and successful harvest is from Him (v. 13).
So, by the last verse, David has offered a litany of praise to the Lord for His awesome deeds. I’m not an ecologist or a farmer at all by trade, but by the end of this psalm, I am in awe of how God blesses and cares for our planet. God’s works in our world are mind-blowing.
However, sometimes the natural world is terrifying, not beautiful. And to be honest, I can struggle with that. When 50,000+ die after an earthquake, and the news calls it an “act of God,” it takes real trust in Him to call it “righteousness.” It can be a challenge to keep worshiping Him.
Observing God’s handiwork in creation reminds us that He is greater than any turbulence in nature or humanity.
Here’s a conclusion that I’ve come to accept from Psalm 65: Every natural event demonstrates God’s righteousness. Everything He does is just and worthy of worship. From the gentle rain, to the gorgeous sunrise, to the annual hurricane season—it all reminds us that God is greater than any turbulence in nature or humanity.
In His great wisdom, He is the One Who knows what will most draw men and women to faith in Jesus. Whether it’s His power to calm the sea (v. 7, Mark 4:35–41) or His power to curse a fig tree (Matthew 21:18–22), we “stand in awe of [His] signs” (v. 8).
Don’t be afraid to get away to a quiet place and observe nature. Watch the ocean, drive through farm country, walk through a meadow, or hike a mountain. It may be exactly what you need—to think silently, ponder the truth of God’s great power, pray for greater trust of His ways, and praise Him with the gratitude and worship He deserves.
Let the gospel quiet you, show you your Creator, and move you to worship Him.
Explore the whole book!
Gospel Meditations on the Psalms
The Psalms are balms. They have brought help and healing to God’s people for over 3,000 years. Scripture’s 150 inspired songs give us words to pray during times of joy and sorrow, triumph and loss, worship and conviction. They are so vibrant, so beautiful, so real. This 31-day devotional presents short studies of thirty psalms, exploring their connection to the gospel and their direct application to our everyday experiences—our ups and downs, our highs and lows.
