The sun comes up, it’s a new day dawning
It’s time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes
10000 Reasons, Matt Redmann
Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Psalm 103:1-5, NKJV
Psalm 103 starts with repetition. ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul.’
In studying this Psalm a few years ago, I came across some very beautiful commentary by Charles Spurgeon.
In his Treasury of David, he says the following about the repetition: “He is in real earnest, and again calls upon himself to arise. Had he been very sleepy before? Or was he now doubly sensible of the importance, the imperative necessity of adoration? Certainly, he uses no vain repetitions, for the Holy Spirit guides his pen; and thus he shews us that we have need, again and again, to bestir ourselves when we are about to worship God, for it would be shameful to offer him anything less than the utmost our souls can render. These first verses are a tuning of the harp, a screwing up of the loosened strings that not a note may fail in the sacred harmony.”
As a musician, this spoke to me.
How many times have I picked up the guitar and started to play only to find that one string had gone out of tune?
And this one string, this one note out of place, would ruin the whole song.
Especially in a band setting. One out of tune string – even though the rest of the instrument is perfectly prepared – has the potential to throw everyone out.
And so it is with our lives.
Spurgeon feels that David is stirring up the worship within himself, stirring up the whole soul to worship – tuning the strings of his heart – so that not even one note is out of place in the sacred harmony of his thanksgiving and praise.
Are our lives completely surrendered to God? Are we in tune with the song He is trying to play in and through our lives?
Are we singing His praise on the mountain? How about the valley?
As Christians, as Believers, we ought to ensure that we are in tune with this song that God is playing – the song of His goodness, grace, mercy and love.
Our lives should play it – boldly and loudly – so that others can hear it and marvel at it.
We might go through good times and bad times, sickness and health, poverty and abundance – our circumstances might come and go – but God remains unchanged – and so also our praise, our worship – reflected in our daily lives – should also never diminish because of where we find ourselves – if anything we should be stirring up ourselves within ourselves to worship with all that is within us.
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me – let me be singing when the evening comes!
Prayer: Lord, I pray that whenever I get distracted by the storms of life, that my soul will remember Your tender mercies – You are the God who heals, who restores and revives. You are full of love, compassion and mercy, grace flows freely from Your throne. If anything in my life is out of tune, I pray that You will lead me, guide me, and help me bring it back into one accord with the song You want to play in my life. I pray that, throughout this day, I will remember Your goodness, and live a life worthy of the life You gave upon the Cross. In Jesus Name. Amen.