Song of the Day
“Hallelujah (Even Here)” by Lydia Laird
Devotional thought
I am determined, O God. I am determined. I will sing and praise you.
Psalm 57:7 (NET 2nd ed.)
Psalm 57 is written by David as a prayer to God when he was feeling overwhelmed by his enemies who were tormenting him and hurling insults at him. He begins the Psalm by confessing his need for God’s mercy and his declaration to remain in the shelter of the Almighty until trouble passes (See Ps 57:1)!
When it would be easy to compromise on his faith in God’s ability to vindicate, David cries out this excellent declaration confirming his determined position to remain faithful to the God whose loyal love reaches to the sky and whose faithfulness reaches the clouds!
Making the personal connection
I believe we would do well to take a lesson from David, who as it appears in the Bible was in constant battles and fighting for his life. We see this back and forth from him as we read through the Psalms where he cries out to God in frustration and praise, in hurt and joy, in desperation and celebration!
David teaches us the expressions of true faith and determination, especially in the hardest moments of our life (for example Ps 23:4!).
We need to learn how to communicate our true feelings to God, all while remaining “determined” to offer up the sacrifice of praise from our lips no matter the circumstance. Whether we feel overwhelmed and don’t feel like “it is well” with our soul, or we are on the top of a spiritual mountain we just climbed by God’s grace, we must learn to offer a Hallelujah – Even There!
Questions for Reflection
- Are you resistant to offer a hallelujah to God when things are not going well in your life, or does everything have to be going well before praising God?
- Do you think an offering of praise and thanksgiving is possible in the lowest moments of your life? What would you have to change to make it possible (e.g. mindset, perspective, conviction, trust, etc.)
- Have you experienced the blessing of surrendering a hallelujah to God even when things were not going well for you? Take a minute to write down that blessing.
Prayer
God, I offer my hallelujah to You right now! I praise You right now for no other reason but that You deserve my praises. I am sorry for the times when I allow my situations to stop me from offering my hallelujah to You. Please forgive me.
I am determined to offer a sacrifice of praise to You at all times Lord, and I ask You Holy Spirit to remind me of this declaration when I am tempted to forget. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Scripture to reflect upon
(Please hover, or click onto, the Scriptures to read the specified text!)
- Psalm 57:1,
- Psalm 57:7-11,
- Hebrews 13:15,
- Psalm 34:1,
Memory Verse
