Sing!

Sing!

But I will sing of thy power; Yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: For thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble. Psalm 59:16 KJV

The Context and Focus:

David was a man with different experiences at different stages of his life. He had a quiet life at the start, where he was keeping his father's sheep in the wilderness. All he had was God's presence and maybe musical instruments, and he would sing songs to God. Of course, he also had encounters with lions and bears, and God gave him victory. With God, there is no experience that is wasted. As long as God allows it, He will use it to bring glory to His Name and to teach lifelong lessons. Every single thing God allowed David to experience became either the focus of songs or the basis of the next victory. Leading sheep helped him prepare to lead Israel. Fighting and defeating the lion and the bear helped him defeat the giant Goliath. As king, we also see how David walked with God, and how God dealt with him, giving him an eternal dynasty, which is also manifested in the fact that Jesus, by earthly records, belongs to the lineage of David. In fact, in some verses, men would call on His help as the Son of David. What lessons am I seeking to apply to myself as I consider the man David? 

The Message:

Like all things in life, you will also have the not-so-good experiences. King Saul would come to hate David because of his victory over Goliath, and other military victories that God gave David. As I read the book of Psalms, I see all the accounts and experiences painted in a vivid way. Today's verse is also one of the accounts of David's life, when Saul sent men to David's house, seeking to kill him. This is what happens with a heart that is not totally surrendered to God. It will seek to harm or kill, if it sees a threat to its own relevance or authority. However, a lesson must be learnt from David's response throughout all these experiences. Rather than retreat into his shell and bemoan his fate, he would sing. Rather than sit down and mope, he found solace in the past records of God's gracious dealings with him, and these gave him hope that the same God would come through for him again. As it was in the days of David, so is it now. Men will keep making threats, because of the influence of sin. However, there is a standing assurance by God that as long as I depend on Him, He will keep me safe.

The Conclusion:

Men who are not broken by God can choose to live as they please, and their actions will have direct or indirect impact on me, but I have the power to choose a response. For David, the response was praise, and a recount of the many acts of God, as refuge and as defence in the day of trouble. It just means to me that the day of trouble will come; not if but when. Before the day comes, I must settle in my heart the things that are important to me. I must keep right in front of me all the mighty things that God has done. I must take note of them, and gird my heart with the knowledge and personal experience of God's grace, mercy and power. If there is nothing to remember, or there are no accounts to recall, how do I hold on to hope? If David did not write these words down, how would his son, and those after him, know God so intimately as to call on Him for help? For me, I have a duty to preserve the knowledge of God for the generation coming after me. That generation must know the mighty acts of God, and learn to praise Him. I recall all his acts, and no experience, no matter how unpalatable, will be able to keep me from praising God. It has to be natural to me as breathing. God's time of favour is here.