There are times in each of our lives when we just want to sing at the top of our voice for all the world to hear what great things are happening. There are other times in our lives when we don’t even want to open our eyes to see if there is anyone else near us. There are days when it seems all the flowers are blooming, and all the birds are singing; and there are days when there seems to be no colors, and there is not a note in the air. The reality is that all of us will have days that are like these described above. The deep joy for the believer is the knowledge that God will not change, regardless of which of these days we are facing.
Going through the psalms, reminds me daily that there will be “ups” and “downs” throughout my lifetime. David often wrote about these times in his life and reminded his readers (you and I) that regardless of what is happening around them, there is a God in Heaven that has not, and will not change! He wrote it this way … “But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble. Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defense, and the God of my mercy” (Psalm 59:16-17).
I love this reminder that the time to sing is not only the times when the sun is shining, and the bills are paid. We need to praise the Lord, regardless of the circumstances we are facing. The reason for the song is not because things are going well; the reason for the song is because God is still God, and He is in control! As long as God is on the throne, there is a reason for hope and joy. David pointed out to all who would read this psalm later, that God is the defender of the Christian; and God is the One with the unlimited supply of mercy for when it is needed.
This past week the battery in our car died. We have only had the car for one and a half years. I took it back to the dealership where we bought it, and the man told me that it was still under warranty, so if the battery needed to be replaced, it would be done at no cost to us. He later returned to tell me that the battery was indeed bad, and that they would replace it for free. I was happy about that good news. When I went to pick up my key, I asked him how long my warranty was good. He told me that it was good for 3-years, or 36,000 miles … our car had 34,977 miles on it that day!
I smiled as I thought about how good God is to us … even with a dead battery! I left the dealership singing praises to my God! I want to do this every day, even in the tough times!