Thank God for the psalms. I’ve probably read psalm 92 at least 100 times, and this
morning, God spoke it new into my heart in exactly the way I needed.
September has been rough for me. Getting back into the rhythm of school is always
a lift, especially with special needs in the mix. On top of that, it’s just been a rough
month for our country. Violence and death for men, women, and children. It’s
heavy.
I deal with seasonal affective disorder, which basically means for about
month in the Spring and Fall I have some depression to deal with. And then, I had
a dream last night, I wouldn’t quite call it a nightmare, but I woke up with a
profound sense of loneliness. I could almost literally feel the weight of each of
things just piling on top of me, and I was already wearied thinking about the day.
What is a man to do?
God answered that cry of my heart in morning prayer. The first psalm was psalm
92, and this particular line stopped me short, “It is good...to proclaim your [God’s]
love in the morning, and your truth in the watches of the night.” In the watches of
the night. I was certainly in darkness, feeling a low without being able to see any
clear way to move forward. And here God gave me my answer to what to do,
proclaim his truth.
I began to say out loud things that I know are true about God. “God, I know you
are love. I know you see me. I know you working for my good. I know that you have
given me this day as a gift.” Then I recited one of my favorite psalms, Psalm 117,
the shortest psalm and in my opinion the John 3:16 of the Old Testament “O praise
the Lord all you nations, acclaim him, all you peoples. Strong is his love for us, he
is faithful forever.” Speaking these out loud profoundly changed the day from that
moment. The challenges were still there, but I was rooted in truth, and strength.
Are you in the dark, either in whole or in some aspect of your life? Proclaim the
truth, memorize a line or two of Scripture. Say it out loud. The night is dark, but
dawn is coming.
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Thank you Chris for this deeply personal and profound post. Great advice for seeking God’s comfort in the Psalms.