places of abundance.

Shout for joy to God, all the earth;

sing for the glory of his name;

give to him glorious praise!

Give to God glorious praise. He is deserving of my worship and of my glorious praise. He is worth all of the crowns and all of the glory and all of the hurts and all of the sorrows and fears.

 

Come and see what God has done;

he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.

He is awesome in his deeds. Come and see what my God has done. David, your praise that you lavish upon our Lord, sometimes puts me at loss. David, I long for what you have. I long for the reckless abandon for the Lord that you have.

 

For you O God, have tested us;

You have tried us as silver is tried.

You brought us into the net;

you laid a crushing burden on our backs;

you let men ride over our heads,

we went through fire and through water;

yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.

You have tested me. I walked through the fires of affliction, unscathed. I have doggy paddled through high waters. I did not drown. I felt weak with burdens upon my shoulders, but you carried them. As silver is tried, you tried me, so that the steadfastness of my faith would be proven. The waters were deep, the fire was heat I've never known.

 

and yet,

 

yet,

 

you have brought us out to a place of abundance.

 

 yet,

 

he has brought me into an abundant place.

 

no, it isn't always sunny. yes, sometimes the snow swirls intensely and it is cold and there is a blizzard raging around my heart. But there is so much beauty because I see Him within the blizzard. He is the snow that falls gently, just as he is the sun that melts slowly. He is good to me. Because the place of abundance is not my circumstance, it is my relationship with him that keeps me steady. This abundant place is not financial security, peaceful relationships or my car running well. This abundant place is the adventure I get to embark on in knowing the Lord. It is the trust I place in the One who has always been faithful. It is the love I have for the One that I still have yet to see. It is the immense grace He gives me day after day to follow His call on my life. This abundant place is right next to Jesus.

 

David, I understand. I understand your praise to the One who was your abundant place in the midst of persecution and hardship. You praise the Lord not because men are at your every side seeking your death, not because you are sleeping in caves but because the Lord has given you grace and love and stability to keep on persevering. David, you took your eyes off of the world and saw God and everything else grew strangely dim. I am learning.

 

 Come and fear, all you who fear God, 

and I will tell you what He has done for my soul. 

I cried to him with my mouth,

and high praise was on my tongue.

If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,

the Lord would not have listened.

But truly God has listened,

he has attended to the voice of my prayer.

Blessed be God,

because he has not rejected my prayer

or removed his steadfast love from me!

*passages from Psalm 66