My Praise Songs Echo

This year, I'm sharing my "Treasures" of my study of my "Ponder the Morsels" book. I've picked 31 Psalms to study throughout 2013. Today I studied Psalm 30. Here is what I learned.

What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit (the grave)? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your truth and faithfulness to men? Psalm 30:9 (AMP)

I said, “What ·good will it do if I die [profit is there for you in my blood]  or if I go down to ·the grave [corruption; destruction]? Dust cannot [Will the dust…?] ·praise [thank] you; ·it cannot [will it…?] speak about your ·truth [faithfulness]. Psalm 30:9 (EXB)

“I’m no good to You dead! What benefits come from my rotting corpse? My body in the grave will not praise You. No songs will rise up from the dust of my bones. From dust comes no proclamation of Your faithfulness. Psalm 30:9 (VOICE)

“Can you sell me for a profit when I’m dead? auction me off at a cemetery yard sale? When I’m ‘dust to dust’ my songs and stories of you won’t sell. Psalm 30:9 (MSG)

David is pleading his case, that if he dies, he will no longer be around to give praise to God for His faithfulness. 

As I read Psalm 30:9, the first thing that came to my mind, is ”would there be a difference if I die?” Meaning, am I praising God NOW? Am I singing songs of praise to God, so that someone would notice if they stopped? 

Often when we are in a bad situation, we cry out to God and then once the situation turns a good one, we briefly praise God. Then we ignore God until we find ourselves in trouble once again. 

Praising God is to be done continually. It’s not based on what He’d done, but WHO He is. Our circumstance does not alter the fact that God is to be praised. 

Back to Psalm 30:9, if I’m silent now, when I die there will only be continued silence—nothing different. Yet, if I’m busy praising God each and every day, when I die my songs will be silenced, but I think that the sound of my praise songs will linger for a bit. 

To create a positive day, I need to let the sound of my praise songs echo of God’s goodness.

Tune My Ears

This year, I'm sharing my "Treasures" of my study of my "Ponder the Morsels" book. I've picked 31 Psalms to study throughout 2013. Today I studied Psalm 4. Here is what I learned.

O you sons of men, how long will you turn my honor and glory into shame? How long will you love vanity and futility and seek after lies? Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! Psalm 4:2 (AMP)

How long will you people insult me? How long will you love what is worthless and go after what is false? Psalm 4:2 (GNT)

How long will you sons of Adam steal my dignity, reduce my glory to shame? Why pine for the fruitless and dream a delusion? [pause] Psalm 4:2 (VOICE)

"Love Vanity." Men's affections are according to their principles; and every one loves that most without him which is most suitable to somewhat within him: liking is founded in likeness, and has therefore that word put upon it. It is so in whatsoever we can imagine; whether in temporals or spirituals, as to the things of this life, or of a better. Men's love is according to some working and impression upon their own spirits. And so it is here in the point of vanity; those which are vain persons, they delight in vain things; as children, they love such matters as are most agreeable to their childish dispositions, and as do suit them in that particular. Out of the heart comes all kind of evil. Thomas Horton, 1675 

“I like the sound of that!” So often, the “sound” is pleasing, and we don’t care if the message is true or not. The sad part in that, is that the sound soon fades and we are left with emptiness —the bubble has burst, so to speak. 

I need to remember that when I hear something, I need to compare it to God’s truth, to see how it measures up. God’s truth is absolute, it cannot change. If I want to make sure I’m not living or striving after a delusion, I need to make sure that I ignore the “good sounds” and listen to the “truthful sounds”!

To create a positive day, I need to tune my ears to hearing God’s truth, and not empty promises or delusions that simply sound good.