READ PSALM 57
GOD’S GLORY, OR YOUR TROUBLES? WHAT WILL DRIVE YOU TODAY?
Psalm 57:5
Be exalted, O God, above
the heavens!
Let your glory be over all
the earth!
What will drive our
attitude today, our circumstances or our God? God’s glory is visible today! His
power and His glory are displayed in nature.
Romans 1:20
For his invisible
attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly
perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have
been made. So they are without excuse.
Paul realized that, as a
slave of Christ, he had the privilege of declaring the glorious gospel message.
Ephesians 3:8-10
To me, though I am
the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the
Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to
light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in
God who created all things, so that through the church the manifold
wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities
in the heavenly places.
It is God’s plan that
through believers, the reality of God’s glory in Christ would be made manifest.
David’s desire was that,
even the darkest moments of his life, God’s glory would be displayed and
proclaimed. Are these thoughts driving our desires, our reactions, and our goals?
Psalm 57:6
They set a net for my
steps;
my soul was bowed
down.
They dug a pit in my
way,
but they have fallen into
it themselves. Selah
David knew that ultimately
his enemies would stumble, their devices would be exposed, and God would
vindicate him. He was willing to wait upon the Lord’s perfect timing.
Psalm 57:7-10
My heart
is steadfast, O God,
my heart is steadfast!
I will sing and make
melody!
Awake, my glory!
Awake, O harp and
lyre!
I will awake the dawn!
I will give thanks to you,
O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you
among the nations.
For your steadfast
love is great to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the
clouds.
The word ‘steadfast’ is
repeated three times here, two times related to David and once to God, but what
does it mean? “Very devoted or loyal to
a person, belief, or a cause: not changing”, according to a dictionary. David
had steadfast faith in the goodness and greatness of God. Even in the darkest
of times, when he feared for his life, he never doubted his God.
David’s resolve was
displayed in his gratefulness and praise. His praise began in the morning,
before all else. He rehearsed the faithfulness of God early, before the
distractions and challenges of the day.
Starting the day with God
is not an option for those who desire to keep their hearts and minds in check.
The days we live in are evil, and we are prone, by human nature, to allow our
carnal desires to drive us to ingratitude and complaints. Instead, we must
begin our days reflecting on the Lord and His purposes.
As I went to bed last
night and prayed, my thoughts went to so many things that are overwhelming me. This
morning, as I watch the sunrise and rehearse the goodness of God, I am overcome
with gratefulness. I desire to live this day, aware of God’s steadfast love for
me.
My mom used to tell me a
story of when she worked in an orphanage: During the winter, when the children would
be prone to get sick, they used to all the kids up and the director, a elderly
lady, would give a spoon of cod oil to each child. It did not taste good, but
it was good for them. To make sure that the children swallowed the “evil
potion”, they had to say “Thank you”, once it had been poured into their mouths.
It is impossible to do that with a mouth full of liquid, so down it went!
Sometimes, when we forget
to rehearse the character and goodness of God, being thankful through our
circumstances seems to be an exercise like the one of those little orphans in Florence , Italy
Psalm 57:11
Be exalted, O God, above
the heavens!
Let your glory be over all
the earth!
This is the way David ends
his psalm. What will drive your heart today?
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