Singing the Blues or Singing with Joy?
Psalm 90:14-15
O satisfy us in the morning with your lovingkindness, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Make us glad according to the days You have afflicted us, and the years we have seen evil (trouble).
Today we come to the final, at least for now, time of meeting God in the Psalms. I hope you have been blessed by these Psalms; I know I certainly have. I suspect we will return to the Psalms at a later time because of the richness and encouragement to us.
I typically don’t dedicate a blog to another person, but I am going to deviate from that today and dedicate today’s blog to a very special church family, Middle Valley Baptist Church in Hixson, Tennessee. This coming Sunday, October 23, 2022, this church will celebrate its 90th birthday! Wow, 90 years of ministry. What a blessing! The church has experienced days of great joy and blessing and, like all churches and believers, they have also seen days of difficulty and sorrow. They have recently walked with their beloved pastor and his family through a time of sickness and, eventually, his home-going to be with Jesus.
As you would expect, today they are mourning the loss of their pastor, while at the same time, rejoicing with his family that he is now with Jesus. I have the blessing of walking with this church as we navigate these waters of grief and preparation for the next chapter in their history. But they are still singing. And each Sunday as they sing praises to Jesus together, I am blessed.
As we come to Psalm 90 today, I am struck by vs. 14 - 15, “O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Make us glad according to the days You have afflicted us, and the years we have seen evil (trouble).” Now let’s just be honest, we have all seen trouble in our lives and in our churches. Some of that trouble cannot be explained, some of that trouble is self-inflicted and some of that trouble is from the attacks of the evil one. But what captures my attention is that Moses, the writer of this Psalm, is longing to sing for joy. He is longing for the gladness that only God can bring.
Psalm 90 has some really amazing declarations about God. For example, in vs. 1 the Bible says, “Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.” Moses is recognizing that in all their history God had been the place for them to hide and take refuge. Another example is found in vs. 2, “Before the mountains were born or You gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” Moses is declaring the eternality of God.
However, as we come to vs. 3 - 11, we learn about the anger of God. Vs. 11 says, “Who understands the power of Your anger and Your fury, according to the fear that is due You?” We hear much today about the loving nature of God and to be honest, I am grateful for God’s love for us. But let’s also remember that in the nature of God is His holy righteousness, and when we rebel against that righteousness in disobedience, we provoke the anger of God.
But His anger is momentary. For His children, His anger is limited and for that I am grateful. It is because of His character, Moses calls on God’s mercy. And it is from His mercy that we find our song. That brings us all the way back to vs. 14 and 15, the verses we have started with today.
In our lives we all face trouble that attempts to rob us of joy and gladness. It may be with relationships, finances, or it may be in our vocation. For many it causes discouragement, disappointment, or even depression. Trouble can steal our energy and leave us singing the blues.
Have you ever listened to a blues song? I was born and raised in Memphis, TN, the home of the blues. These songs are often filled with sadness, sorrow and agony. And many are written in minor keys, only enhancing the sorrow the writer was feeling when he wrote the song.
Perhaps there is a time for us to sing the blues, but I would rather sing for joy! That is exactly what Moses is saying in this Psalm. He is appealing to God to bring back the joy and to make the people glad again. Perhaps today, you are discouraged and disappointed. Maybe life’s challenges have simply overtaken you. I want to encourage you today to ask God to bring His song of joy back to your heart. If there is some sin that is robbing you of your joy, confess it before God, and ask Him to restore your song of joy. If there is some hurt, grant forgiveness and let go of bitterness, and then ask God to restore to you a song of joy. If life’s pressures and troubles have just overwhelmed you, trust God in the darkness and sing for joy!
Notice the final verse of Psalm 90, vs. 17, “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; and confirm for us the work of our hands; yes, confirm the work of our hands.” As this Psalm comes to a close, Moses reminds us of two great spiritual truths for us to seek. We are to seek the favor of God. There is a time of sorrow and grief. There is a time of sadness and struggle. But there is also a time of favor and hope. And with that favor and hope comes the second truth, the work we do in obedience to God.
As we close, today, I encourage you to dwell on that final verse. Seek God’s favor and get to work doing the spiritual work of God.
Today, I am praying for you to sing for joy and leave the blues behind. Will you also pray with me for Middle Valley Baptist Church, on its 90th anniversary? They have suffered well, and now are ready to sing for joy!
Just a reminder that today is our last time in the Psalms, at least for now. Next week I will start a new blog series entitled When the Christ-life and Culture Collide. I hope you will be back next week!