Read Psalm 30

“Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness. For His anger endureth but a moment; in His favour is life: Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” (Psalm 30:4–5)

What a word of hope and humility. Even though this life is filled with sharp stones of tribulation under our feet, there is a banner above us in the name of our God where favor and joy abounds.

Let us take heed to the twofold call of the Psalmist to honor God and refresh our souls today.

First, David says, let us sing to the LORD! "Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints!" There is no medicine like a song in the heart. How much more when that song lifts you to heaven to worship your Maker? Your wounds may be many, but if you can sing through them to the Almighty, you will discover the strength of the Lord. As the Savior Himself has so tenderly assured, “My grace is sufficient for thee."

Second, the Psalmist declares, let your song be an anthem of thankfulness. “Give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness." Not thankfulness for fleeting gifts of earthly possessions, but thankfulness for God Himself and His holiness. We are too quick to keep God at the surface of our life. We err by anchoring God in the shallows of our existence. We have been told all too often to be thankful for the small things and the simple things in life. But I'm afraid this may have made us shortsighted. Yes, we are grateful for our food, our water, and the clothes on our back. But is God, the Author of Life and the Giver of Grace, not more than these?

He is holy! He is far above all principality and power. Though we would starve and thirst, He is still worthy to be praised. Though we go naked, He is still “Holy, Holy Holy!"

Yes, let us trade our earthly vessels of gratitude for the heavenly ones. Let us set our sights on God in heaven, and on Christ sitting on the throne. Let us thank Him for Him! For such a man who can find his song of joy in the essence of the Almighty, that man is freely happy and unmoved, even in the greatest of storms.

“…This day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)