Celebrating in all Circumstances

Scripture:
The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears,
    and delivers them out of all their troubles.
The Lord is near to the broken-hearted,
    and saves the contrite of spirit.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
    but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
A righteous one keeps all his bones;
    not one of them is broken.

Psalm 34:17-20

Observation: David writes this psalm while first on the run from Saul. His fear that Saul wishes to kill him have been confirmed, and he leaves everything. But then he even reaches a foreign city where the king knows of David and begins to plot concerning him, leaving David to feign madness in order to convince the king he is not worth any effort. In the midst of all this ... David write praises to God as his protector, his Lord, and his deliverer.

In the midst of the danger, David is already celebrating God's protection. While sad about the turn of events, David is joyful for God's love.

Application: God is exactly the same on my good days and my bad days, so my interaction and relationship with him should be the same. The Lord gives me good blessings and wisdom almost every day, so on the days I feel discouraged ... I might still be discouraged with life, but I should still be encouraged by God's love. And this should also be my focus, as that love is so much greater than any hardship or petty issue that arises during the day.

My soul will sing to the Lord on good days and bad. I will sing on Sundays and Tuesdays. I will worship the Lord in my heart and soul in the sun and in the storm.

Prayer: Lord, you are my joy and my strength, my wisdom and my loving father. May I keep you in my heart as David did. May I think on your love and mercy and protection while I am in the very center of any hardship, problem, or trial. In other words, please guide me in keeping you central in my life, and in my walk, every day. Amen.