November 17 – Profound and Great

“For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord; I sing for joy at what your hands have done. How great are your works, Lord, how profound your thoughts!” Psalm 92:4-5 (NIV)

We have chosen these verses especially because of the words where the psalmist is worshipping God for His thoughts. We don’t know God’s thoughts as a mind-reader because no one can know God that way. But the psalmist still knows that God’s thoughts are marvelous. He says, “how profound your thoughts?” What was it that made him marvel at the depth of God’s thoughts? In his first words he was happy about what God was doing. He found God’s works to be great and wonderful and it gave him joy. Sometimes we are tempted to ask why God should allow something difficult to happen in our lives. We struggle with the consequences of attacks that come at us from our enemy. “Why us O Lord? Why did this happen now?” We do not understand and we question His goodness. But God is good all the time and even though he allows some things which test our faith to happen, He never deserts us. He thinks about us and he keeps track. How much better to trust His goodness and know the His thoughts, though deep are wonderful. We trust Him.

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August 10 –Turning Anguish into Joy

I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul, and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy;  you have set my feet in a broad place. -Psalm 31:7-8 (ESV)

These words, written by the psalmist David, describe a great change in his experience. We notice that he had suffered anguish in his soul and he described it as an affliction. It sounds as if he had been suffering for several reasons and for some time. There are these occasions in our life when we experience anguish because of things that have happened or even not happened. Our trials and testing bring suffering over our sense of wellbeing. Our expectations are not fulfilled and we need help restoring our joy.  When David wrote these words his circumstances had changed and he was in a different situation. His soul had been delivered, as it were, from the anguish and he was rejoicing. So, what had made the difference? It was the realization that God had been loving him and had been watching him. Just that knowledge transformed his anguish into joy. Let's be glad and rejoice in God's love, even when afflicted because God is still in the business of delivering us OUT of the hand of the enemy. 

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September 18 – The Real Safe Place

“But let all who take refuge in You be glad, Let them ever sing for joy; And may You shelter them, That those who love Your name may exult in You.” Psalm 5:11 (NASB)

We are promised that when we trust the Lord, He actively responds. In our verse today we learn that the result is joy and gladness. When we recognize that we are safe, that brings joy. Refuge is a place of safety.  We have a promised refuge in our spiritual lives as Jesus followers.   It is so good to know that our God takes care of those who seek His help. When one of God's children takes refuge in Him, how is that done?  We find refuge in God when we have faith in His word and believe what He has promised.  Today's verse teaches us about two results from taking refuge in Him.  We rejoice with gladness and sing for joy.  God also shelters us and spreads protection over us.  These two expressions are similar, speaking of the from two different perspectives. We are reminded that we can seek refuge in the Lord and we notice that when we do trust God and His promises we have another cause for rejoicing.  Today let us seek refuge in Him.   

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April 15 – Reason To Be Glad

“When the Lord brought back the captive ones of Zion, We were like those who dream...The Lord has done great things for us; We are glad.” Psalm 126:1, 3 (NASB)

One of the happiest songs in the Bible is Psalm 126. Today we look at the first and third verse.  Verse 1 reminds us of the occasion for writing the song. The people of Israel had been in captivity in Babylon for 70 years. When they are allowed to go back to Jerusalem, they praised God for working that out for them. They acknowledge in verse 3 that it was the Lord who had done this great thing as well as other great things.  Our Lord has done great things for us and we ought to be sure to give Him the credit.  As we think of all he has done and all that he is doing for us every day it does give us joy and a reason to be glad, doesn't it?  We can join with the people who first sang this psalm. We can let God know how happy it makes us to recognize His daily care for us just as He has promised many times.  The Lord has done and will do great things for us, let's be glad about that today.

November 17

“For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord; I sing for joy at what your hands have done. How great are your works, Lord, how profound your thoughts!” Psalm 92:4-5 (NIV)

I have read these verses especially because of the words where the psalmist is worshipping God for His thoughts. He says, “how profound your thoughts?” What was it that made him marvel at the depth of God’s thoughts?  In his first words he was happy about what God was doing. He found God’s works to be great and wonderful and it gave him joy. Sometimes we are tempted to ask why God should allow something to happen in our lives. We cannot understand and we question His goodness. How much better to trust His goodness and know the His thoughts, though deep are wonderful. We trust Him. 

September 18

“But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.” Psalm 5:11 (NIV)

It is so good to know that our God takes care of those who seek His help. Here we have two expressions which are similar, speaking of the thing from two different perspectives. We are reminded that we can seek refuge in the Lord. We notice that when we do that God responds by spreading His protection over us. We are promised that when we trust the Lord, He actively responds. In both cases the result is joy and gladness. When we recognize that we are safe, that brings joy. Let us seek refuge in Him.