And Not Be Silent

 For His anger is but for a moment,
         His favor is for a lifetime;
         Weeping may last for the night,
         But a shout of joy comes in the morning...

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
         You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness,

That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent.
         O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

Psalm 30:5, 11-12

As I read this passage today, my mind's picture was one of a father who has disciplined his errant child.  At one time, it appears, David thought himself somewhat invincible.  "I said in my prosperity, 'I will never be moved.'"  And then God hid His face from him.  For a moment that Loving Father showed His righteous anger; He disciplined His son.

I'll bet it didn't take long for David to see the error in his thinking!  But thankfully for all of posterity, the Father's anger only lasted for a moment, and His favor--for all of us who know Him--is for a lifetime.  Our Lord Jesus came through the line of David.  What a different scenario for the world if God had remained angry with David and chosen not to send the Redeemer into a world of sinful man!

And thankfully, our Loving Father, the same God who disciplined David long ago, still loves us enough to hide His face from us at times so that we may repent of our sinfulness.  But Praise God, His favor lasts for a lifetime!  Joy comes in the morning.

Therefore we are to remember that ultimately all things are not for our sakes, although we think at times that everything is for me, me, me.  It's all for His glory!  It is so that "my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent," and that we may give praise to Him forever.

As we continue in this season of joy, let's not forget that today and everyday, our purpose in life is to glorify Him and to enjoy Him forever.  Let's give praises to Him--OUT LOUD!  It's not about us.

Too often forgetting,

Gloria

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