Why did the heart of the psalmist leap for joy? Is it because from joy springs worship or is it the reverse? Eugene Peterson contends,
Worship is an act that develops feelings for God, not a feeling for God that is expressed in an act of worship. When we obey the command to praise God in worship, our deep, essential need to be in relationship with God is nurtured. ... Every time we worship our minds are informed, our memories refreshed with the judgments of God, we are familiarized with what God says, what he has decided, the ways he is working out our salvation.We come to God as an act of obedience. In doing so we meet with Him. The longing of our soul is pleased and yet the beauty of His presence only stirs a desire for more. This is true when we worship in spirit and in truth. Anything less leaves us longing for more but in a different way. This longing flows from emptiness rather than the longing that flows from having tasted His goodness in true worship. Come, let us taste and see that the Lord is good. He is great and worthy to be praised.
Worship does not satisfy our hunger for God - it whets our appetite. Our need for God is not taken care of by engaging in worship - it deepens.
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