READING: Psalms 115-118
The psalms were originally written to be sung, and we have much to sing about in today’s readings. God hears our cries for mercy and turns His ear to us (Psalm 116:1-2). He is “gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion” (Psalm 116:5). He is always with us, so we have no reason to fear (Psalm 118:6). Even when we die, “precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants” (Psalm 116:15).
In fact, it is in Him that we have victory. He is “my strength and my defense,” our “help and shield” (Psalm 118:14, 115:9-11), the One who guides us, guards us, and protects us. He is our helper, so it “is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans” (Psalm 118:8). Shouts of joy should resound from our lips because He has done mighty things and given us victory (Psalm 118:15-16). After all, as the psalmist reminds us, the dead can’t praise Him in this world, so we must (Psalm 115:17-18).
In fact, as I read through these psalms, contemporary praise songs bounced around in my head. I hope you, too, sing a little today as you read these words:
Psalm 115:1 — “Not to us, Lord, but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJvVH7zgPRw
Psalm 118:1 — “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0EluFuxFyQ
ACTION STEPS:
- Listen to the praise chorus links above. Sing along. Let the words echo in your ears today.
- All day long, take your refuge in the Lord. If somebody lets you down, don’t get stressed — it’s always better to trust the Lord anyway.
PRAYER: “Lord, let me sing Your praises today. Thank You for being my refuge.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Psalms 119:1-88