January 27
“Blessed be the Lord, because He has heard the voice of my supplications! The Lord is my Strength and my Shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song I will praise Him. The Lord is their Strength, and He is the saving Refuge of His anointed. Save Your people and bless Your inheritance; shepherd them also, and bear them up forever,” Psalm 28:6-9.
Every Christian can say with the psalmist, “Blessed be the Lord, because He has heard the voice of my supplications!” As Christians, we can be sure that God hears and answers the prayers of His people, for which we thank Him. Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord says, “It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear,” Isaiah 65:24. God knows when we are going to pray and for what we are going to pray long before we even think of opening our mouths.
We trust the Lord’s promises because, as Scripture says, “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” Numbers 23:19. People make many promises, but they do not keep as many promises as they make.
The fact that God hears and answers our prayers is something that should make us very happy and move us to sing. “Therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song I will praise Him.” The words “praise God,” “give God the glory,” and “thank Him” appear numerous times throughout Holy Scripture. We are blessed with so many gifts from God for both body and soul. We really have something to sing about!
The psalmist was not speaking only for himself. All of the children of God can join together like a mighty choir and sing songs of praise for the many bodily and spiritual blessings which are showered upon us by our good and gracious God.
When we think of the fact that we daily sin much and deserve God’s wrath and punishment, and then realize how gracious and good He is to us, we ought to jump to our feet and sing praises in perfect harmony!
We think especially of God the Father sending His Son to be our Savior from sin, death, and the power of the devil. The apostle Paul was moved by the Holy Spirit to express it in a few words. He wrote, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable Gift,” 2 Corinthians 9:15. The apostle Peter wrote, “Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,” 1 Peter 1:8. The sending of that Gift of God moved the angels to praise God. When the angel announced to the shepherds on Bethlehem’s field, “There is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord,” Luke 2:11, then the angel choir sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Luke 2:14. Through this message, God saves and blesses His people. He invites us, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,” and He promises, “You will be saved,” Acts 16:31.
“Now let all loudly
Sing praise to God the Lord;
Christendom, proudly
Laud Him with one accord.
Gently He bids thee come before Him;
Haste, then, O Israel, now adore Him!
Haste, then, O Israel, now adore Him!
Sing we His praises
Who is thus merciful;
Christendom raises
Songs to His glorious rule.
Rejoice! No foe shall now alarm us;
He will protect us, and who can harm us?
He will protect us, and who can harm us?” Amen.