But I will sing of Your strength and will joyfully proclaim Your faithful love in the morning. For You have been a stronghold for me, a refuge in my day of trouble.
Psalms 59:16 HCSB
This passage in Psalm is David pleading with God to protect him from Saul. Over the last few weeks the men in our small group have been discussing David and his life. We see often in the scripture David’s success of faith and strong spirit rise to the occasion with perfect timing.
Ironically, we also learn of David’s shortcomings and sins and failure and have read about the great losses and strife that followed some of his decisions. In this section of his life above, after being chased and hunted by Saul for so long.. do you wonder if he had thought to himself, “I’m better off dead?”
Has that thought entered your mind before?
“God, just take me now!”
“This can’t get any worse!”
“I’d rather be dead!”
I’ve said these words myself, more often than I’d like to admit over the ever ending internet webs herein. But like David, we can stop the thoughts, re-center our hearts and minds and get back to the Provider.
“God, help me.”
“God, can you see my struggle here?”
“Lord, show me your plans and lead me to your will”
What a difference a few simple questions can make in the way we think throughout our day, you know? But I will sing of Your strength and will joyfully proclaim Your faithful love in the morning.
David was no different than us, outside of his life existing before Christ walked the earth with men. David had no “secret formula” to avoid the plunders of a sinful heart or here above, the grasp of a revenge fueled man. David had to do the same thing we need to do… that is…. joyfully proclaim Your faithful love in the morning.
In the 1936 publishing of Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People
we can read the trusted method of simply smiling when we talk to others. The thought process for the believer is no different! IT TAKES A CONSTANT EFFORT to MAKE ourselves direct our eyes and hearts to the Lord !!! We must decide to sing the praises. And believe me friends, there are PLENTY of negative, non-praising, non-vibrant believers walking around. We need the NEW LIFE each morning! Like David had, despite the dangers approaching him, he sent his request up to God, daily, morning by morning… forcing the smile.
“God, help me.”
“God, can you see my struggle here?”
“Lord, show me your plans and lead me to your will”
Force the smile, force the praise, enter His stronghold.
Barnabas Man 