Daily Bible Reading:
Leviticus 23, Psalm 30, Ecclesiastes 6, 2 Timothy 2
I have heard that one is either in a storm, just about to go into a storm or just coming out of one. I have often thought that statement was a rather depressing way to look at life, until I realized that an external storm does not have to mean an internal one.
In Psalm 30, It sounds like the season that David is in, is just coming out of a storm. He is rejoicing in God's deliverance and victory over his enemies and giving thanks for a new season of joy. The most admirable part about David is that although this shows David giving God praise during his “coming out of the storm,” we have seen his character in previous Psalms, that David still gives God praise even in the midst of one as well. David was a worshiper at heart, and a true worshiper at heart doesn't allow their circumstances to dictate when they worship—they simply worship, period.
David understood this principle: The enemy may bring external chaos, but his goal is to steal the internal peace of our souls. If we have allowed the enemy to creep in and put on us his nasty spirit of heaviness, anxiety or discouragement, the antidote is found in Isaiah 61:3:
“To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified."
It is praise, worship and thanksgiving that allows us to experience this contrast that David describes in verse Psalm 30:5, “weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” and in verse 11, “you have turned my mourning into dancing.”
Sometimes worshiping feels so effortless it’s hard for us to believe that it is actually accomplishing anything. For those of you who are type-A personalities like myself, my tendency when walking through a storm is to pray, pray, pray! Although prayer is always a good thing, worship reminds us that God is in control and it is His power and Grace that calms the storm. Worship can cause His grace to move to create an effortless victory in our circumstances.
In Joshua 6, God commanded Joshua to overtake the city of Jericho through praise. Commanding an army through horns, trumpets and loud shouts was a very risky and seemingly foolish strategy, but God wanted to prove that He can create an effortless victory through praise.
Worship can calm your internal storm, but it also has the power to calm the external one! Don’t ever underestimate the power there is in worshiping our amazing God!
Thanks for reading,
Mel Miller
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