Apples of Gold

I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done. I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High. Psalm 9:1-2

Most of us do things we would rather not do everyday. It could be folding laundry or rising early when we would rather hit the snooze button. Sometimes it is mundane tasks at work that are required to keep everything running smoothly. Willing our selves to accomplish these things is a necessity. 

I wish it were not the case, but we all have times that we find ourselves need of applying the “I will’s” to our spiritual lives. During tough times praise might not be the first thought of our heart. 

More often than not, perspective is a major factor in our mental approach to, well, everything. 

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. Proverbs 17:22

Solomon was not merely spewing a cute saying, there is a whole lot of truth packed into those words. Cheerfulness is contagious, it is energizing. Brokenness can be contagious too but it tends to have the opposite effect, zapping our strength and desire. 

Most of us can get right back up after a little slip, but the damage that comes from a traumatic fall can leave us stunned and overwhelmed. 

Notice how many times David says “I will”. I will praise you. I will tell. I will be filled. I will sing. I will is both an action and a decision. 

David had his ups and downs. Here is one of the downs:

Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again-my Savior and my God! Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you- Psalm 42:5-6

Sometimes we know exactly why we are downtrodden, but like David we also experience instances of extreme sadness with no obvious catalyst. 

In these times we need to invoke the “I will’s”. 

I will praise you with all my heart. Our determination might precede our accomplishment. We may start out pretty weak in our approach, committed but sullen. However, if we follow the steps outlined by David, momentum will begin to build.

I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done. Don’t feel much like praising? Count your blessings! Trace the hand of God through history. From Creation to Calvary and countless things in between. Once you begin to feel the stirrings of hope, share your reflections with someone. 

And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. Revelation 12:11

The old fashioned testimony services have for the most part disappeared from our current church structure. I think with their absence there is a void that many of us notice. Strength and hope rise in believers as they listen to what God is up to in the lives of those around them. 

I will be filled with joy because of you. Notice it doesn’t say because God does everything I ask him to do.My circumstances might not be outwardly joyful, but when I meditate on who He is, and what He has done, joy will begin to flow. 

I will sing praises to your name. Once you have made it this far, it is much more natural to break out in praise. Switching our focus to who he is rather than what we are walking through shifts the atmosphere. 

 The deep discouragement dissolves as biblical precepts are applied to our lives. Remembering the promises of God are “yes” and “amen”. 

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28

God is intricately involved in everything that we face. He’s even working our mistakes for our benefit. 

The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand. Psalm 37:23-24

While traversing a crowd a parent does not rely on their small child to hold tightly to their hand. They have a firm grasp on their child, keeping them close. 

We often give ourselves far more credit for maintaining our balance than we deserve. As we face our struggles, our Heavenly Father is the one holding tight to our hand. He is keeping us from falling. 

I for one happily relinquish the illusion of control in favor of trusting God with the future. Yet I still find myself struggling with the unknown from time to time. 

I will endeavor to keep these “I will’s” close at hand. God doesn’t always do what I expect him to do. He chooses paths that I would rather not walk and closes doors I thought I might like to walk through. He also chooses the things that are best for me to accomplish what he desires in my life and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23