I Will Go to the Altar of God

The Importance of Corporate Worship for the Downcast Soul

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In the laments of Psalms 42–43, the psalmist discerned the state of his sorrowful soul. He spoke of his soul as “cast down” within him (Pss. 42:5, 11; 43:5). His soul was in “turmoil,” which is an image of great upheaval. Aware of his tumultuous inner life, the psalmist was also aware of how important corporate worship had been—and would be again—for him.

This lesson about corporate worship is something that hasn’t always stood out to me from Psalms 42–43. But after recently preaching these two psalms at our church, I’ve noticed how important the public gathering is to this psalmist. And there is a lesson in this observation. The sorrowful person needs to hope in God with his heart and to join the saints with his body.