Joy Bombs in the Psalms can throw all sorts of stuff your way! Today, we’re talking about my son Joshua, who almost died from ulcerative colitis. Then we’re bouncing into a Veggie Tales song and the episode on Esther, and we’re going to be reading the bounty from Psalms. Let’s get after it!
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Transcription:
Yes, I bought a Veggie Tales song, downloaded it on my phone just the other night, but it’s for a really good reason. Alright, it’s the Bible for Busy People. I’m Erica, your host, and you know it’s Friday, which means it is time for joy bombs in the Psalms. And before I explain why I downloaded a Veggie Tales song; I want to read one verse to kick things off right now. This is Psalm one 50 verse six.
Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord! Praise the Lord!
Indeed. Right? How many battles has God brought you through? You don’t have enough fingers and toes to count on to find that answer. Today. we are going to continue to worship and to praise our Lord. But I want to tell you a little story before you and I dive into Psalm 63, a Psalm that King David wrote when he was in the wilderness of Judah, probably fleeing for his life from King Saul, who wanted to take his life. Okay? We’ve all been through wilderness seasons, and we can praise through them. One of the wilderness seasons my family and I went through was when my son Joshua, almost died from a terrible disease called ulcerative colitis. And I will never forget. We were in a hotel just down the road from Duke University Hospital and it was the morning of a major surgery. This is where they were going to remove Joshua’s large intestine, which is about four feet long. Just think about that. And I was one terrified, trusting mom. I was both of those emotions. I was terrified and I was trusting my Lord. And in those moments of terror and trust were kind of doing a tug of war in my heart and a song swam up from my memory from when my kids used to watch Veggie Tales. Have you ever watched them? They’re cartoons about Bible stories, and honestly, they’re funny enough to watch if you’re all grown up, but especially fun and funny to watch with a kid by your side and a bowl of popcorn between you. Well, in my favorite veggie tale, it’s called Esther, the Girl who became Queen, there was a song that was so beautiful and so haunting, and I want to share it with you now. I’m not going to sing it for you because I love you. I’m going to read you the lyrics.
Tell me why I don’t understand. Tell me why. Or show me your hand. Tell me why, because I can’t see my way through. What now should I do? The battle is not ours. We look to God above for He will guide us safely through, and guard us with his love. I will not be afraid. I will not run and hide, for there is nothing I can’t face when God is at my side.
Now, God was so kind to me in those moments, in that hotel room when I was terrified and trusting at the same time, and he was telling me, Erica, through a veggie tale song, I know this is the battle of your life, but you are not fighting by yourself. I’m right here. You can face this because I’m at your side. This is a God who is worthy of worship. There are times in our lives when you and I are not going to understand why we’re smack dab in a wilderness season. I think it’s even harder when somebody we love is the one suffering in the wilderness like it was with my son. Maybe there’s somebody who you love who is suffering and struggling, and it just hurts you to even think about the pain they’re going through. Either way, it’s tough sometimes. Sometimes God doesn’t explain to us why he allows things to happen, but he has promised to work it for good. Your good, my good, His glory. There is a purpose for every pain in your life and in the lives of those around you. And in that moment, that was the song he gave me. I mean, think about it. This is what he gave King Jehosaphat. Remember the first Bible story we read this week? When as soon as the Israelites started to praise God, gave them the victory, took care of their enemies. Remember that? They started to praise. And in that hotel room, I started to praise. The trust won out over the terror because God was with me in that moment. And God will be with you in your scary moments. Alright, join me now in Psalm 63. Because it is Friday, we got to celebrate that we have a God who is worthy of worship and who loves us. Who works it all out for our good in his glory. This is what He does. Alright. This is King David now in his own wilderness moment.
O God, you are my God;
Sometimes you just got to say that, by the way. Maybe you need to do that right now. God! You’re God! You are my God!
I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. 2 I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. 3 Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! 4 I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. 5 You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy. 6 I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. 7 Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. 8 I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.
Okay. I’m typing in Psalm 91 right now. I wasn’t anticipating going here, but I always love references to God’s wings in the Bible. So here we are, Psalm 91, calling an audible here in verse four.
He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings.
This is the God we worship, this Jesus who is the living water when we are in a dry and weary land where there is no water. In the shadow circumstances of our lives, He wants to give us joy. He wants us to shelter beneath the shadow of his wings. This is a God who is so worthy of our worship and our praise and our trust. Trust and worship go hand in hand. He is a faithful God. If you continue on that last part of verse four in Psalm 91,
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
Remember, earlier this week we talked about take your position, pray, trust, and then praise. The victory is at hand. He is fighting your battles for you and with you. This is a God who is so worthy of our worship. We can trust him because he loves us. We can praise him because he cares for us and because he is good and because he is God; our God. Oh, until next time, you are really loved.
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