I will sing of mercy and justice; to You, O Lord, I will sing praises. (Psalm 101:1)
It is said that David, flawed as he was, loved justice and despised evil. As one who had suffered much at the hands of evil men, it is not surprising in the least that David would abhor the works of the wicked. That being said, David was not perfect; his missteps are well documented. He referred to his transgressions on multiple compositions in the psalms that he composed. In an indirect way, that is exactly the point made in the verse above; regardless of how God dealt with him — with compassion or stern correction — David loved God and sang to Him at all times.
In Judaism, there is a benediction which says, “Blessed are You who is good and does good; Blessed are You the truthful Judge.” In other words, regardless of the situation, and whether God deals with us kindly or with justice, He is worthy of blessing and praise. This is especially true when we, His servants, are before others. Whether in tribulation or in triumph, we are to do everything possible to generate public recognition of God’s goodness and His greatness. Though Job was in the midst of suffering and the object of scorn, he declared, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God” (Job 14:25-26).
I think most of us would admit that singing songs of thanksgiving and praise while attempting to navigate difficulty and hardship is not our first instinct. Nevertheless, we should discipline ourselves to correct the situation. Not only is He worthy of blessing, but the surest way to overcome the hardship — self induced or not — is to give thanks to the One who is Just and who is Merciful. So let’s conclude today’s thoughts with words penned by the prophet Habakkuk:
“Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls — yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will joy in the God of my salvation” (Habakkuk 3:17-18).
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
Recent Comments