This has been a challenging week for me and maybe you as well. The days have been long and the nights short. I’ve been blessed by hearing stories of how God is using the people of First Church to care for and bless others at Skyline Urban Ministries and at our daily Homeless Breakfast. I’ve also become aware of some present challenging financial realities for First Church as well. “Life is hard; but God is good!” It’s a phrase I preach and believe. We really do get to choose which part of that phrase to emphasize! We all need daily encouragement, so I want to share an article today from an author Earline Kline about “A Rejoicing Heart.” I hope you will be encouraged by Psalm 105:1-5 and the words of the author. Blessings!


What can you do when life goes flat? Anxiety clouds the future? Problems press you down? Psalm 105:1-5 gives some steps you can take to return to a rejoicing heart.

Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. (v.1)

Set aside some time to be alone with the Lord in prayer. Begin with thanksgiving. His name here means the Almighty One, the Ever-present One. So thank Him for who He is. Then thank Him for what He has done for you. After your prayer time, call a friend and share one thing God has done for you this week. At your first opportunity, share publicly with a group of believers.

Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of his wonderful acts. (v.2)

Move from speaking into singing. Sing a phrase of Scripture, a psalm, or a chorus from your heart unto the Lord. Play a tape and sing along, especially the words of Scripture. Also sing words that speak of what He has done for you.

Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. (v. 3)

Lift your heart in worship. To glory is to boast or exult in who God is. His name always speaks of His character. You might say, “O Lord, You are the mighty one. Nothing is to hard for You.” Or “O Lord, You are wise and You will guide me in the right paths.” Or “O Lord, You are so gracious. You will not turn Your face away from me.” As you praise and worship the Lord your heart will begin to rejoice.

Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. (v. 4)

Make your total focus the almighty God. Set aside your problems and needs for a while and seek Him alone. To seek implies searching out in prayer, begging, or beseeching. Seek Him until your heart is strengthened and lifted.

Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and judgments he pronounced. (v. 5)

Last of all, remember. Remember how God has met your needs in the past, how He has led you through hard places before. Trace His hand through each time of trouble, each need, and remember how He provided. Note how each mistake, given to God, was turned for your good. Remember His judgments when disobedience brought chastening and you learned to fear God.

The remainder of the psalm traces God’s hand in the history of Israel – through the good and the bad. It ends on a note of praise for God’s faithfulness in keeping His promise to Abraham. You, too, like the author of Psalm 105, can end on a note of praise because God will keep His promises to you.

As you begin to thank God for who He is, for what He has done for you, seek Him for Himself alone rather than your needs; then you will find Him sufficient and your heart will rejoice regardless of your circumstances.

Yours in Christ,
Mark

P.S. I love to listen to the worship music of Dennis Jernigan. He’s a gifted Christian song writer who lives right here in Oklahoma and has been to First Church several times. I often listen to his music to and from church. There’s a lot you can listen to in the car, but there’s nothing more uplifting to me than Christian music. We’re called to worship God daily. The more we each do; the richer our worship becomes as we gather together. Worship the Lord today and come “pre-prayered” to worship Him on Sunday!