Psalm 33 - "Alive and Breathing"

 

God led me to Psalm 33 this morning to remind me no matter what is happening in my little world He is here. Praise His Holy Name! God desires us to lean into Him at all time. He desires all to love Him. I am sure it breaks His heart when people refuse Him. I was thinking about how it hurts my heart when I see someone refusing to love Him. I cannot comprehend how people live without Him. Rickey and I were talking last night about how when we were little kids we thought everyone loved Jesus. Now as adults we hear/see many who refuse Him. I had never heard the word atheist growing up but now know many who proclaim the title. I have said it so many times. I do not know how people get through life without God. David wrote Psalm 33 to encourage us to praise God. We need to praise Him in the 'good' days and we need to praise Him in the 'tough' days. If we are "Alive and Breathing,"  we should be praising Him. Matt Maher sings a song that goes along with this Psalm.

Joy still comes in the morning Hope still walks with the hurting If you’re still alive and breathing Praise the Lord Don’t stop dancing and dreaming There’s still Good News worth repeating So lift your head and keep singing Praise the Lord

Yes! When we praise Him, it takes our focus off of ourselves and makes us feel better about our situation. Praise His Holy Name! Psalm 33:12-22 teaches us to give God the glory He so deserves. We are nothing without Him. We have no strength if we do not have Him. Verse seventeen in The Passion Translation reads, Human strength and the weapons of man are false hopes for victory; they may seem mighty, but they will always disappoint. God never disappoints. We may be disappointed for a time with the way something goes but when we see the big picture we see His way is the best way. He knows what is best for us and provides. Verses twenty through twenty-two read:

The Lord alone is our radiant hope
    and we trust in him with all our hearts.
    His wraparound presence will strengthen us.
21 As we trust, we rejoice with an uncontained joy
    flowing from Yahweh!
22 Let your love and steadfast kindness overshadow us continually,
    for we trust and we wait upon you!

Woo hoo! When we trust Him, He will provide all that we need. He is our hope. I love His wraparound presence will strengthen us. Woo hoo! Matthew Henry wrote of this Psalm:

While those that depend on arms and armies, on chariots and horses, perish in the disappointment of their expectations, God's people, under his protection, are safe, for he shall deliver their soul from death when there seems to be but a step between them and it. If he do not deliver the body from temporal death, yet he will deliver the soul from spiritual and eternal death. Their souls, whatever happens, shall live and praise him, either in this world or in a better. From his bounty they shall be supplied with all necessaries. he shall keep them alive in famine; when others die for want, they shall live, which shall make it a distinguishing mercy. When visible means fail, God will find out some way or other to supply them. He does not say that he will give them abundance (they have no reason either to desire it or to expect it), but he will keep them alive; they shall not starve; and, when destroying judgments are abroad, it ought to be reckoned a great favour, for it is a very striking one, and lays us under peculiar obligations, to have our lives given us for a prey. Those that have the Lord for their God shall find him their help and their shield, v. 20. In their difficulties he will assist them; they shall be helped over them, helped through them. In their dangers he will secure them; they shall be helped over them, helped through them. In their dangers he will secure them, so that they shall not receive any real damage.

Dear Jesus, Thank You for another day of life! Father, it seems like everyone is going through 'tough' days. Every time I turn around I am receiving another prayer request. Most of these requests are quite serious. Some are life threatening. My heart breaks yet I stand firm in my faith in knowing Your love is greater than anything that comes my way. I prayed throughout the day yesterday for Your strength in a mighty way. I prayed for Your peace in a situation I am in. You continue to be with me and for that I am grateful. I pray the same for many going through 'tough' days. My Momma; my sisters Linda, Sally, and Mary; Dan; Ben and Colleen; Steve; Scott; Madeline; Norma; Melanie; Donna whose husband passed last night; Marlene's Momma; Roger and Kathy; Chrissy and her son; Sharon Sebolt; Mike and his family with Roxanne's passing; Carrie and Chris with their loss; a young man in rehab for anger issues and another one for addiction; some young ladies with anxiety; Gay and Doug; Bill Watts; many with COVID; Ms Savon; Vicki with Randy's death; and so many others. Lord, be greater than the hurts of life. I pray for Your empowerment in my life in a deeper way. Thank You for bringing Rickey into my life! He encourages me so well even being seven hundred miles away. Thank You for all who are praying for me today! Thank You for being with TJ through surgery yesterday and for giving Little Ivy good counts! Thank You for going before all of us and teaching us to praise You throughout the mountains and the valleys of life! Thank You for being My Wraparound Presence! Amen.