Some of my greatest lessons have occurred while hunkering down beneath the shadow of God's wing - that place of refuge reserved for His children, that place I run to when the storm clouds rise.
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| Photo Credit: frankkish.typepad,com |
David learned the same lesson. In Psalm 57:1 he poured out his heart before the Lord, "Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by."
David wrote these words while hiding in a cave...in a CAVE! He was fleeing from a sure death at the hands of Saul - his body weary from the ongoing pursuit, his spirit heavy from the perpetual fear.
The verses that follow are wrought with anguish: "My soul is among lions; I lie among the sons of men who are set on fire, whose teeth are spears and arrows ... They have prepared a net for my steps; My soul is bowed down; They have dug a pit before me..." (verses 4 & 6).
David begged God for mercy. He cried out for protection as fear threatened to overtake him.
But then things changed.
David began to declare his steadfast love and trust in his God.
"My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise.
Awake, my glory! Awake, lute and harp!
I will awaken the dawn."
~ Psalm 57:7,8, NKJV
Matthew Henry writes this, "David's prayers are, all of a sudden, turned into praise and thanksgiving; his sackcloth is loosed, he is girded with gladness, and his hallelujahs are as fervent as his hosannas. This should make us in love with prayer, that sooner or later, it will be swallowed up in praise." (Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary of the Bible)
Isn't that powerful? "...his hallelujahs are as fervent as his hosannas." I love that. Thorough praise. Steadfast heart. Complete trust.
Can you hear the confident assurance that rose to the surface and swallowed David's fears? David's heart was steadfast. Firm. He was not overcome by the harsh reality of his enemy's pursuit. He was, instead, focused on God and overcome with praise.
As David entered into praise, he made a profound statement: "I will awaken the dawn."
When I read these words, I thought of how dark it is right before the dawn. Some say the moments before the dawning of the sun are the darkest of the night.
The moments before our breakthroughs are often the darkest of our night.
But David said, "I will awaken the dawn." Think about it. In his darkest moments he declared his allegiance to Almighty God. It is this steadfastness of heart - of trust, of faith - that awakened hope within him. His praise ushered in the glorious light of a new tomorrow. His unwavering, childlike faith turned his mourning into dancing, his despair into hope, his fear into confident assurance of deliverance.
I want to declare His glorious praise, "God, You are my God! I will trust in You and will not be shaken! With my praise, I will awaken the dawn."
Yes, I will awaken the dawn and watch it rise.
I'll be peeking out from beneath the feathers, of course. Want me to scoot over?
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Tweetables to Encourage Others
WHEN STORM CLOUDS RISE. @NanJonesAuthor shares why praise makes a difference when your world falls apart. (Click to Tweet)
The moments before our breakthroughs are often the darkest of our night. (Click to Tweet)
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If you received Morning Glory via email, please visit the Morning Glory page for a huge blessing! I'm featuring a music video of Hezekiah Walker singing, "Every Praise." I learned about this song through a news article. A nine year old boy was kidnapped recently. As his captor drove around, the boy sang this song over and over. And guess what happened? The kidnapper let him go!! The boy's praise subdued the enemy. Wow!!!!
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