Ps. 33, 43, 66
It is good to praise the LORD. Praise should be a regular habit in my life, because praise acknowledges and brings to mind all that God is and does. The Psalms show us a lot about how to praise God, and today’s reading gives us a great variety to look at.
- Psalm 33 is an example of praising God for all that He is. He is righteous and just; steadfast in love. He is the creator of all that is and reigns supreme over all that He created. He is our help and our shield. God is good.
- Psalm 43 is an example of praising God in our distress. Yes, even in our distress we can and should praise God – it will add confidence to our prayers for help and will give us hope.
- Finally, Psalm 66 is an example of praising God for all that He does. Remembering what God has done in the past can help us face what lies ahead. It gives us assurance that God hears and responds to our prayers; it reminds us that nothing is too hard for Him. The Psalmist here even goes so far as to Praise God for testing and refining us. As hard as that is, it is a sure sign of God’s love and care for us. “Blessed be God, because He has not rejected my prayer or removed His steadfast love from me!” (Ps 66:20)
Phil. 1
Reading this chapter, I get the impression that Paul sees God’s hand in everything – both the good and the bad. He talks about the good that has come from his suffering and imprisonment, noting how it has served to advance the gospel. He rejoices because, even though some are preaching Christ with insincere motives and selfish ambition, Christ is being proclaimed. And, though he knows that his death would end his struggles (which are many) and bring him to the full glory of Christ, he chooses to embrace the struggle because he knows that God is using him to help others.
When we keep our focus firmly on God, life looks different. We can look beyond the negative, knowing that God will work all things together for His good purposes. God’s plan will not be thwarted. And since we are part of God’s plan, we can trust with full assurance that He will work His good purposes in and through us as well.