Worship the Lord in the Highs and the Lows
Daily Old Testament Reading: Psalm 30; 2 Samuel 24; 1 Chronicles 21-22
Daily Focus Passage: Psalm 40
The situations in life often cause a challenge to the obedience of praising the Lord. We constantly seek to rejoice in the best of times and lament in the worst. We quickly praise the Lord for life's “good things” and question his goodness during the low moments. In Psalm 30, David demonstrates the necessity to praise the Lord in the moment of prosperity and the bottom of the pit. He reveals the importance of praising the Lord as restoration and renewal comes. As we read Psalm 30, may we find these truths present in our lives concerning the worship of the One, True God.
First, may we recognize all we have is from the Lord. David realized that all his prosperity came from the Lord. He did not claim to be the one who gathered all the wealth or prestige. He knew that it all belonged to the Lord, so he knew that he must be a good steward and give God all the glory.
Second, may we give God all the glory for our successes. Our successes do not come because of our strength or ability. We have power and ability because of the Lord. We must thank the Lord for these things and give him all the glory. One of the best ways to bring God glory is to use the talents, gifts, and successes he has given us to honor and make him known.
Third, may we remember to stay close to the Lord when the good turns bad. David’s life did not stay at the mountaintop all the time. He experienced moments in the pit of the valley. He endured enemies coming against him and the missteps in his life due to sin. Even in the valley, David knew that the Lord was with him each step of the way. Thus, the presence of the Lord led to rejoicing in the Shepherd nature of the Lord.
Fourth, may we trust the Lord as the agent of restoration. David worshiped the Lord because he restored David from the pit about brought him back to the mountaintop. David recognized that no step-by-step process devised by humanity could rescue him. He held that the Lord alone brought him out of the pit and rescued him from his plight.
Fifth, may we sing the praises of restoration to the Lord so that the whole world may know of his greatness. David declared the faithfulness of the Lord despite his unfaithfulness. He declared the greatness and work of the Lord so that others could respond to him and trust him in the same manner. When David rejoiced in the Lord, he told the entire world about the available restoration from the Lord alone.
Life will come at us in all directions. There will be moments of success and failure. We will have mountaintop moments and then find ourselves in the pit of life. Yet, as a follower of Christ, we must seek to develop a heart that rejoices in the Lord in every moment of life. We must lean into his goodness and trust him completely. May we celebrate the Lord from the top of the mountain or the pit of the valley.
