A Psalm of Joyful Praise

I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord, forever;
    with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness

    to all generations.
I declare that your steadfast love is established forever;
    your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens.

(Psalm 89:1-2)

Praise for you fills my heart, O God,

and I can't contain myself.

"Spring up, O well, within my soul!"

Even in this season of pandemic,

when troubles and trials abound,

nevertheless my heart is light with joy.

Of course, I grieve for the world,

my heart aches for the brokenness 

that your people are experiencing.

But still, a song of joy fills my heart,

because I know your love is better than life.

As high as the heavens are above the earth – 

that’s how great is your love toward us.

When I consider the problems and troubles 

that fill our world right now,

as great and numerous and burdensome as they are,

they are no match for you.

For your power and might are unsurpassed:

  you are Creator of heaven and earth, and all that is in them;

  you are Sovereign Lord over all the world;

  you govern all things by the unsearchable mystery

     of your Providence.

Great is your faithfulness, O Lord,

great is your faithfulness.

Indeed, we are deep in the midst of troubling days,

but then, so are you, right in the depths with us.

So as I see it, "If God is for us, who can stand against us?"

I am confident of this:

I shall see the goodness of the Lord

in the land of the living;

indeed I shall see the goodness of the Lord

every day.

While I have breath,

I will sing of your steadfast love forever, O Lord;

   with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness 

   to all generations.

My heart is light with joy;

praise for you fills my heart,

and I cannot keep it to myself.

Praise the Lord!

During the season of Lent, I am “Praying with David,” using prayers found in the psalms as inspiration for personal prayers.

Repeat These Words

“The Lord of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our refuge.” (Psalm 46:7, 11)

refrain / ri ‘frein /: a phrase or verse recurring at intervals in a song or poem, especially at the end of each stanza; chorus.

Recently my morning devotions led me to the 46^th Psalm, which most of us know by two lines:

“God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble...” and 

“Be still, and know that I am God!”

I, like many of you, love the psalm precisely for the message and sentiment of those two lines. But this time as I read the psalm, something else struck me. It was twofold recurrence of the line, “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.” Musically (for the psalms were often set to music), and poetically, the line serves as a refrain.

A refrain is a line that is repeated for the sake of emphasis of a thought. Often it highlights the central theme of the poem or song in which it appears. In the case of the 46^th psalm, certainly the theme presence and protection of God is effectively underscored by the words, “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.” 

In many ways, a refrain can become a personal mantra that we may use to speak a truth to our hearts. I can imagine that in times of trouble, one may cultivate a sense of inner peace by the frequent repetition of the words, “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.” 

It makes me appreciate the treasure we have in the words of Scripture, for all throughout Scripture we find words and phrases that can serve as a personal refrain for us. A few examples, just off the top of my head:

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want...”

“In all things God works for the good...”

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end.”

“I lift up my eyes to the hills; from where does my help come?”

“The grass withers, and the flowers fade, but the word of our God shall stand forever.”

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

“Come to me, all you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

“Rejoice in the Lord always! I will say it again – Rejoice!”

When you regularly spend quality time in Scripture, then you begin to store up in your heart these little treasures. And when you find yourself in need of words of comfort and encouragement, then you can reach into the treasury you have built up, and find a refrain to lift you up, to refresh and renew you. Use them much as the instructions on the back of a shampoo bottle (lather, rinse, repeat) – use them frequently and often (redundancy intended).

What are the refrains that give you strength, that fill you with hope, that instill a sense of peace and well-being in your heart? Build up the treasury of biblical refrains in your own heart. Your faith will be strengthened, and you will experience the blessing of God whispering his grace into your spirit.