Strength

Abandoned in Praise

Are you comfortable singing to God?

Verse of the Day

‘But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress.’

Psalms 59:16

Today’s Devotional

As we continue our discussion of strength and power, I appreciate the nuances in all of these different verses that mention our topic.  At first glance, they all sound the same.  And in some ways they are the same.  If you took the time to simply read the verse for each day, one right after another, it would feel a little like you were stuck on repeat.  But each one is a little different. Today’s verse specifically mentions song.  Praise.  Praising God for His strength and power.

I want you to think about something.  When was the last time you sang “Happy Birthday” to someone?  Let’s all picture a group of friends or family gathering together for someone’s birthday and they sing the birthday song to the honoree.  If you are in that group, how do you sing?  My theory is that there are two main factors that determine how I sing in a setting like this: (1) how comfortable I am in my own skin, and (2) how much I love/value/like/treasure the honoree.  

How we sing to God might hinge on those same two factors.  If I am secure in my identity as a beloved daughter of the King, I am much more likely to sing how I want to sing and care very little what anyone thinks about it.  If I am enamored by the majesty of God, if I am bowled over by His strength, if I am awed by his unfailing love, then I will most likely sing with abandon to my King.

We are told over and over in the Bible to praise God with song.  As we are looking at strength and power, I would wager that much of our strength comes from our willingness to see God as the source of all power.  The more aware we become of His power, the more abandoned we should become in our praise.  Once we are done singing, our lives should then continue to carry the tune of our praise by the way we treat each other.

Journal Prompts

Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.

How secure are you in your identity in God?

How much do you adore God?

How easy is it for you to abandon yourself in praise to God?

How mighty is God’s power in your life?

How honored are you by His unfailing love for you?

I dare you.  I dare you to get in your car – or anywhere you can be alone – and turn on a worship song you like.  Then sing to God like you mean it.  Let your praise for God define your day.