April 29, 2024

Passage Read: Psalm 115-118
Meditation Verse: 118:17

Thought

There is much about praising God in these psalms. In almost every case, the same reason is given: because the Lord delivered the psalmist from death or suffering. In some cases, the suffering seems to be the result of his own sin, for which God disciplined him, like in the next verse. But as this verse suggests, the right response to living, for being given life, is to tell of God's works. The real purpose for us to be alive is to tell of God's goodness and His deeds. We are delivered from trouble, whether of our own making or of external causes, so that we would give praise to God and tell of His kindness to us and His mighty deeds of deliverance. Which kind of suggests that we need to go through trials, beyond our ability to manage so that we are compelled to cry out to God for help, so that when He delivers us, the obvious and only right response is to tell of His wonders.

Application

The only right use of my life is to tell of God's goodness and mighty deeds. Even if I have no personal experience of God's deliverance, there are thousands of amazing accounts in Scripture that I can repeat. If I'm not using my life to tell of the works of God, then I am truly wasting my life. It's the only right response to the gift of life I've been given, and to any deliverance from trial or trouble that I have received.