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Daily Devotion: Psalm 59:16-17

Psalm 59:16-17    "But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.  (17)  Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy."

In both Psalms 58 and 59, David is expressing his frustration and concern about those who were trying to overthrow him. King Saul was relentless in trying to discredit and ultimately trying to kill David.  Greed and envy are such terrible destroyers of both the vessels that carry them and those that are affected by it. But through it all, David was determined to keep His heart, mind, and eyes upon the Lord. At one point, he expressed the truth that those who were against him were there in order that he would not forget God. Other times, he would ask the Lord to destroy them in order for him to have peace. But the one thing that helped David throughout his entire life was his heart for the Lord. God even described David as a man after His own heart. As I read the 58th and 59th Psalms, I could feel David's sadness and frustration. Then I came to our verses for today. Throughout my ministry I have often said that one of my favorite words in the Bible is the word, "But". It is a conjunction of contrast and more times than not, it shines light into a dark place. Yes, David had written about all the darkness that surrounded him, "But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble. Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy." The one thing that shines light into our darkness is the action of praising God. When it seems the world is against me, I want to praise Him. When it seems that darkness and despair is all around, I want to praise Him. He is worthy of my praise, no matter what is going on in the world. Let us lift our voices to praise our Almighty God!

Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer!
Sing, O earth– His wonderful love proclaim!
Hail Him! Hail Him! highest archangels in glory;
strength and honor give to His holy name!
Like a shepherd, Jesus will guard His children;
in His arms He carries them all day long.

Praise Him! Praise Him! Tell of His excellent greatness.
Praise Him! Praise Him ever in joyful song!

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