A Psalm for Today: Psalms 13:5,6

But I have trusted in Your mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me. Psalms 13:5,6

   David is in distress because of his enemies and is crying out to the Lord for deliverance. He asks a familiar question that I am sure that many of us have asked, "How long?" When a difficult circumstance like lack, unemployment, strife, stress, or infirmities drags on and on it wearies us. We tend to become hopeless. We go to bed sad, wakeup sad, and often find it hard to sleep. It robs of our strength and vitality. But within the heart of David there remains a spark; a remembrance of the many times God has demonstrated His faithfulness. You will recall how at Ziklag he encouraged himself in the Lord. He closes the psalm with a declaration of faith. He has trusted in the Lord's mercy. There are situations in life that I may have caused myself. I don't appeal to the Lord on the basis of what I deserve but according to His great mercies which are new every morning and endure forever. Faith doesn't deny the problem, it declares deliverance like Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego before Nebuchadnezzar stating "Our God will deliver us.." David said, "My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation." I am sure when he says he will sing to the Lord that he is not going to wait until his deliverance is manifest. It is easy to sing on the other side of the Red Sea when your pursuers have perished, but can we sing on this side when our enemy is advancing? Praise is a powerful weapon against our enemies. In 2 Chronicles 20:22 the praise of Judah initiated God's attack on their enemies. When we consider what God has done for us we can also say God has dealt bountifully with us. He has given us everything that pertains to life and godliness.  "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him us up for us all, how shall He not with Him freely give us all things." Romans 8:32   Hold on, deliverance is coming.