“As soon as I called out to Him, there was already a song of praise on my lips.” (Ps 66:17).
A friend of mine’s father used to say: “I can only start complaining once I’ve counted all my blessings.” We all knew his life was not a bed of roses. Early in his marriage, his wife passed away, leaving him to raise his daughter (my friend) on his own. After my friend’s divorce, she moved back in with her father along with her two preschool sons. Then tragedy struck: one of her sons drowned in their grandfather’s pool. It was one of the most heart-wrenching funerals I have ever had to lead.
This man had a habit of starting almost every sentence with, “Come, let me tell you…” I think of him now as I read the words in Psalm 66:5: “Come and see what God has done, come and see…” Later, the invitation is repeated: “Come and listen, … I will tell you what He has done for me” (v16). Yes, there were painful moments: “You tested us, O God; You refined us like silver; … we went through fire and water” (v10-12). But it seems as if David is also saying, let us first count our blessings. And what is the greatest blessing? David answers: “As soon as I called out to Him, there was already a song of praise on my lips” (Ps 66:17).
No matter what happens, God is there! As Hebrews 12:11 reminds us: “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”
PRAYER: May praise always be the first words on my lips when I call to You, my LORD.
MUSIC:
We listen to a live recording of “Come and See (Psalm 66)” by the renowned Psalm musicians Shane & Shane.
Come and See (Psalm 66) (Live)