The following is from “How Long, Lord?”, available on Amazon.

 

I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.
Psalm 13:6

 

“…I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.”  David is again using definitive language; he has already decided what he will do and who God is, regardless of what happens next.

Verses 1-4 allow us to be honest about what seems to be happening and how it makes us feel, verse 5 invites us to choose trust and joy nonetheless, and verse 6 is how we can act on that choice.  There is a popular statement that talks about the important 18 inch journey from the mind to the heart; just because we change our mindset does not mean we’ve changed our positioning.

Singing takes our thoughts from our minds and vocalises them publicly.  There’s something about thoughts outside our head that make them clearer and more real.  It’s like when you have a great idea that makes total sense, until you share it with a friend who responds with confusion; you hear it too, and mumble, “…now that I hear it out loud… it does seem like a bad idea.”

Interestingly, this is the opposite: faith in God amidst the hardship already seems like a bad, foolish idea, and vocalizing it can make it clear and real.  David wants to believe that God is good and worthy of praise, so he commits to doing it as though he already believes it’s true.  In that act, there becomes less room for the lies, fears and struggles.  David commits his mind and mouth to “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness” so they will seek nothing else.

Find the week-long devotional here.