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
attitudes 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 the
reality of His glory in Christ would be made manifest through believers.
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 own desires, reactions, and 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 gratitude. 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 get all the kids up so the director,
an elderly lady, could give a spoonful 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. Dear friends, whatever God gives us, is always for our good: it exposes our idols, it unmasks our sin, and
it should always drive us into the arms of our great God.
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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