Feelings are not facts, and emotions often obscure the truth. However, this does not negate the seriousness of feelings and the dramatic impact emotions have on how you see the world. God created you with emotions; however, because of the fall and the corruption of this world, emotions can be destructive and deceptive. Psalm 13 is a psalm of David that deals with his feelings of spiritual abandonment. David feels like God has forgotten him, refused to respond to him, and left him to be shamed by his enemies. David feels abandoned.

Psalm 13 is written in three stanzas. Stanza one contains David's despondent questions, which flow from his fear of God's abandonment. Stanza two is David's prayer for God to see him and answer his pleas. Stanza three is a response of faith in God's goodness. Psalm 13 teaches three ways to respond when you are struggling with feelings of abandonment.

At the first light on Sunday Mary and Mary make their way to the tomb to do the unpleasant task of anointing the dead body of Jesus with strong spices to compete against the putrid stench of decay. The scene that they encounter is anything but what they expected to find. The stone is rolled away. An angel sits on top of the stone announcing the resurrection of Jesus. The Roman guards are so frightened they are literally frozen with fear. The angel tells the two Marys that they are to go and tell the disciples that Jesus has risen from the grave and that He is going to meet His disciples in Galilee.

They depart immediately, with both fear and great joy, to report what they had experienced to the disciples. On their way they meet Jesus. It is in this meeting that Matthew records the first words spoken by the savior after the resurrection.

Scripture is full of passages that teach on the theology of worship, the importance of worship, and examples of worship. It certainly is a subject that could occupy much more than just one sermon. For our time today I want us to consider David’s worship after bringing the Ark of the covenant to the capital city Jerusalem. The occasion was filled with many public acts of offering and worship. In verses 8-36 David declares a psalm of thanks and in it he gives many imperatives:

• Give thanks

• Call upon His name

• Make known His deeds / Tell all of His wondrous works

• Sing praises

• Glory in His name

• Seek the Lord

• Remember the covenant

• Declare His glory (Ascribe His glory)

• Worship Him

It is the call to worship the Lord that I want to give our attention to today from verses 28-36. From these verses we will learn these three truths:

1. Recognize God’s glory

2. All of creation worships

3. Worship forever