Today’s verse of the day isn’t a verse but a meme I came across that I want to share with you.

So much of today’s feel-good, self-help, pop-psychology is terrible advice! It goes directly contrary to scripture and the teachings of Jesus.

Stick to Jesus and his leading. Follow him.

“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 as high as the heavens; your faithfulness extends to the clouds” (Psalm 57:9-10).

One of the reasons why I love the psalms is because of it’s brutal honesty of life as it is. There’s no need for sugarcoating and make-believe. The psalmist tells us how to praise and have faith in the midst of life as it is.

The verses for today’s meditation looks a whole lot like much of the other psalms of praise. It is a lovely affirmation of God’s steadfast love and God’s faithfulness.

Reading these verses in isolation gives the impression that things are going great. But that’s not the context. We are told the context of the declaration of faith and praise in the previous verses.

• “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge until the destroying storms pass by“ (v.1)
• “He will put to shame those who trample on me” (v.3)
• “I lie down among lions that greedily devour human pray; their teeth are spears and arrows, their tongues share swords“ (v.4)
• “They set a net for my steps; my soul was bowed down. They dug a pit in my path” (v.6)

This is the context of praise. The context of praise is when things are hard, when things look down, when you feel beaten up, attacked. Because the absolutely necessary ingredient necessary for deliverance is trouble!!!

So, you feel beaten up? tired? attacked? Are things hard?

Great news!!! You are right where you need to be if you want to experience God’s faithfulness and steadfast love. That’s exactly the ingredients necessary for deliverance!!!

That is the context of praise.

And, that my friends, is why I love the psalms!

“This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24)

I say this verse as a prayer every morning. Every day is a gift from God. Every day I wake up it is because God gave me rest and allowed me to get up. God gives us the day so that those who believe and trust in him will be a witness to God’s goodness and grace.

But here’s what I’ve noticed lately: while I start the day with the reminder that this day is a gift from God, I act as if this day stinks! This covid thing is getting old! I miss my church family. I miss my friends. I make statements like, “I can’t wait for this year to be over!”

Pretty soon, I take the gift of the present and make a mockery of it.

Father, forgive me.

Forgive me for not recognizing the gift of the present, the gift of this day.

This has been a hard season for all of us, but that’s why God put us here. God put his church and sprinkled his people all throughout our communities so that God can bless our community through us.

I refuse to allow the enemy to steal the gift of the present. I will rejoice and be glad in every day God grants me to live. I pledge myself to be a blessing to the people around me so that through me others can see how much God loves them.

Little Church and Lakewoodgrace…will you join me in being a part of God establishing his kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven?

Every day – even days during covid-19 – are days that the LORD has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!!!