Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Praise and sing, God is over the circumstances


Psalm 33
February 2
Although not mentioned until the last two verses, trust and hope figure prominently throughout this Psalm. Yesterday, Melissa and I made a new month’s resolution and it reminded me of how the new year offers such hope for the upcoming days and yet already many resolutions have fallen by the wayside.
Since today's devo is on joy here's something
that made me LOL.

Maybe for you it was exercise, eating better, being nicer, reading the Bible through in a year. Like the Psalms, our lives seem to go through times of hope and trust and times of despair, sometimes on alternating days. Happiness is fleeting, but placing our joy and faith in God will give us the most rest (33:8).


Unlike the previous psalms, this psalm is not ascribed to David, but the message is the same. The writer is happy and singing in his heart, but not because of the circumstances. Don’t let your failures in your resolve make you doubt God’s resolution for you!
 
I rarely greet people with “how are you doing?” in the hospital. Yesterday, I accidently greeted someone like that in the Scott and White elevator and as soon as I said it, I knew that her circumstances kept her from the typical reply. I followed up with “I can imagine you being here means that you have someone here in need of healing. I am a minister and I will pray for the person you are here to see and for you.” She smiled as we arrived and her floor, but she stopped and held the door open long enough to say, “People say ‘How are you?’ and I wonder if they really care. Thank you for caring and your prayers.”

God cares about your circumstances (Ps. 33:13-14). Don’t put your joy or faith in “the strength of a horse” (v. 15) or a king (16) or an election cycle (heaven help us!) Read verse 12 and then look around to see if that verse still describes our nation. Whether your team wins the Super Bowl or even gets in, and regardless of the direction of our nation, our society or our circumstances, God is over all.

Wait, hope and rejoice in the Lord.