05/26/W – Songs of Salvation and Praise

OT: “On that day you will say: “I will give thanks to you, Lord, although you were angry with me. Your anger has turned away, and you have comforted me. Indeed, God is my salvation; I will trust him and not be afraid, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my song. He has become my salvation.” You will joyfully draw water from the springs of salvation, and on that day you will say, “Give thanks to the Lord; proclaim his name! Make his works known among the peoples. Declare that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things. Let this be known throughout the earth. Cry out and sing, citizen of Zion, for the Holy One of Israel is among you in his greatness.”” (‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭12:1-6‬ ‭CSB)

The day that Isaiah spoke of initially was the day when the exiles of Israel were able to return back to their homeland. God’s anger did not last forever. Though the Northern kingdom of Israel was conquered by Assyria and the Southern Kingdom of Judah was conquered by Babylon, there would come a time when the diaspora would be released from captivity and allowed to come home. Though the Jewish people had allowed themselves to become distant from God; on that day, God would once again be their strength, song and salvation. Those were the words that Moses declared about God when He delivered the Israelites through the Red Sea (Exodus 15:2), and that will be the song on the lips of God’s people when they are allowed to return to their promised land once again.

Ultimately the day that Isaiah spoke of will occur when Christ returns for His bride and the people of God are called home. On that day, all of heaven will break out in song celebrating the strength and salvation of the Lord (Revelation 19:1-7). Life on this earth is challenging – especially for those who are not willing to compromise with the world, the flesh or the devil. But for those who remain faithful to the Lord, we can always have hope… we can always have a song of praise on our lips by faith. As David wrote in Psalm 30, “Sing to the Lord, you His faithful ones, and praise His holy name. For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor, a lifetime. Weeping may stay overnight, but there is joy in the morning.”

Psalms: “God, be exalted above the heavens; let your glory be over the whole earth. They prepared a net for my steps; I was despondent. They dug a pit ahead of me, but they fell into it! Selah My heart is confident, God, my heart is confident. I will sing; I will sing praises. Wake up, my soul! Wake up, harp and lyre! I will wake up the dawn. I will praise you, Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your faithful love is as high as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches the clouds. God, be exalted above the heavens; let your glory be over the whole earth.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭57:5-11‬ ‭CSB)

In one of David’s darkest times (both literally and figuratively), when he had to flee from imminent danger and hide in a cave – instead of sulking, complaining and doubting, David lifted up a song of salvation and praise. In fact, he wouldn’t even wait for the new day to begin, but said that he would awaken the dawn with praise for God’s imminent salvation. Though the situation he was in seemed hopeless to the naked eye, David could see the Lord’s deliverance by faith. He knew that God’s faithful love and faithfulness was immeasurable. Therefore, he was confident, that as long as he remained faithful to the Lord, David’s enemies would be trapped by their own snares, David would go free, and God would be glorified.

Proverbs: “All a person’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs motives. Commit your activities to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ 16:2-3)

The joy and confidence that David experienced in the cave – the joy and celebration that Isaiah prophesied would come is not available to everyone. The great contingency is that in order to experience the joy and salvation of the Lord, we must commit all of our plans and doings to Him. God isn’t bound to establish our plans and our works. He has promised to establish His plans and His ordained activities. If we want to live a life full of hope and confidence, we must be about the things that God is planning and doing.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that in You I can have peace that passes all understanding and joy that fills me even in the saddest and darkest times. Help me to not disconnect myself from Your grace by turning my reliance to my ways that seem right to me. Help me to remain ever abiding in You by faith so that You can be my strength, my song, and my salvation in all times. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.