Day 23: Spirit of Praise
Read: Psalm 5
In the busy routine of life have you ever noticed how hard it can be to have joy? I remember about a year ago I was facing one of the hardest parts of life a time in my life where I felt far from joy. This not only caused pain in my relationships with others, but it began to hurt my relationship with God. My routine had changed. I would roll out of bed, get ready for the day, and leave. Something in that routine was missing: I was neglecting time with God.
Psalm 5 is written by David, demonstrating his discipline in prayer. Verses 1-3 say, “Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my groaning. Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray. O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.” David is showing the importance of being disciplined to spend time with God.
David continues to remind himself of God’s character and that He will turn away evil. Later in verse 7, David says, “But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house…” God’s love is constant and never changing. David moves on in verse 8 to ask God to lead him to righteousness and straighten his path away from the path of his enemies. It seems that in these periods where it is hard to be joyful, we follow those around us who are not on the right path, drawing ourselves further from God. But as we read here, the path that’s not of God has nothing worthwhile to offer. It leads to furthering ourselves even more from joy.
This Psalm is ended with a spirit of praise. Verses 11 and 12 read, “But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you. For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover him with favor as with a shield.” If we take refuge in God, not only during the highs, but in the lows, God will instill a joy in us that is unlike anything else we can find joy on this earth. Those who follow God are covered with the joy and protection of the Lord.
These times where we feel an absence of joy, we should look at David, a character in the Bible who was committed to disciplined time with God. This passage in Scripture is setting an example for us to remain disciplined in spending time with God. Not only is it setting an example of spiritual discipline, but also of praise and thanksgiving for the joy we find in the Lord.
Make time for God in your daily routine this week. This is not just to check a box, but is so valuable because it means spending time with God who is the source of joy and life. Whether it looks like reading scripture, journaling, painting, taking a walk to talk with God, etc., begin to practice the discipline of setting aside time for Him.