KEY PRINCIPLES FROM THIS MESSAGE:
Song is a tool that God’s given us to help traverse all the circumstances of life with comfort and grace!!
Singing a Song of Gratitude In the Face of Sadness – blog 12/9/22
It is noble and righteous to seek to restore things lost; however, we must learn to rest and remember all of the blessings in our lives, beginning with our Lord’s love for us. Singing this truth is ointment for the soul.
Psalm 92:1-4
A Song for the Sabbath.
It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre.
For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.
…
When you read Psalm 136, go ahead and sing it, for that is what a psalm is, after all, a hymn! Sing a song of gratitude as God’s Word washes over your weary soul. Bask in gratitude for all the beauty and good God has bestowed on you in this life. Thank Him for saving you. Thank Him for sanctifying you. Thank Him for giving you faith, hope, and love – the greatest of these being love (1 Corinthians 13). Sing, my dear friend, even though – especially when – your heart is saddened by things lost, for there are so many things found to rejoice over!
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.
-Philippians 4:4
BY FAITH, we can see things from God’s perspective. God has given us all the tools needed to regain His perspective whenever we choose.
Singing to God is an expression of faith. And faith moves mountains according to our Lord.
Jesus in His humanity NEVER lost sight of the big picture and the ultimate victory we have through God’s love, so He persisted in giving thanks, even through song!! (Mat 26:30, Psa 118)
Find your own song! Consider that God wants us, in our personal and unique relationship with Him, to cry out to our faithful Father through song.
John MacArthur, Psalms Introduction;
“The basic theme of Psalms is living real life in the real world, where two dimensions operate simultaneously: 1) a horizontal or temporal reality, and 2) a vertical or transcendent reality. Without denying the pain of the earthly dimension, the people of God are to live joyfully and dependently on the Person and promises standing behind the heavenly /eternal dimension. All cycles of human troubles and triumphs provide occasion for expressing human complaints, confidence, prayers, or praise to Israel’s sovereign Lord.”
William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary:
“Many of the Psalms, especially the ones which call down curses on the wicked, were entirely appropriate for Jews living under the law but are not suitable language for believers of the Church Age. In this age, we are urged to love our enemies and to do good to those who despitefully use us. Unless we recognize this important dispensational difference, we will encounter severe problems in interpreting the Psalms.”