Dec 14 - God is in Control

God is in Control

Wednesday, December 14, 2022

By Shaun Duggins

Scripture: Psalm 30

Key Verse: Psalm 30:11-12

You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.
    You have taken away my clothes of mourning 

    and clothed me with joy,
that I might sing praises to you and not be silent.
    O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!

Wow, I’m in total control, after all I have everything, I could possibly need a brand-new vehicle, the best home on the block, the best job in town, a great family, great investments, plenty of money in the bank, an awesome vacation home and countless other things that make us all happy all thanks to me. Yes, I’m pretty good at achieving all these things and after all what else could I possibly need except maybe a bigger boat. Sound familiar? 

It sure does to me, and I think it is all too easy for all of us to chase these material goals and believe that it the root of all happiness and even worse is the belief that we alone accomplished all these things. In the context of this Psalm, the psalmist King David had sinned by taking a census against God’s wishes, resulting in God’s discipline. The Lord could have let David fall to his enemies, but instead sent a plague on Israel. This plague was cut short as King David pleaded for his people. God had mercy on David through illness, and his human enemies and kept him alive to which David changed his prayers to praise and worship to God for sparing his life. This psalm is known as the psalm of thanksgiving as David was forgiven and set out to get all his people to offer unending praise and thanks even in times of despair. As I am so often guilty of believing that prosperity or a “confident state” is an accomplishment created by me and shows God’s Favor where in reality this security comes from the Lord’s presence and is a sign of God’s Amazing grace. It serves as a reminder that we must be careful to ALWAYS offer specific and authentic prayer and worship including thanking him for the many gifts bestowed on us and his amazing salvation and grace. 

Praise!!! by Jacqui Hatten

You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises and to you and not be silent. This psalm serves as a powerful reminder that we are not in control, that God loves us right where we are and that in times of despair and times of prosperity, we must give all thanks to God through sincere prayer and worship. It is so easy to just go through the motions with our daily demands instead of rediscovering the joy of Gods unending Love and grace and focusing our worship and prayer life on his greatness and offering all the praise to him. My prayer during this advent season for us all is to take the time to be still and know that he is God, to listen to his plan for us and be sincere in our prayer and worship, thanking him for our many blessings. Let King Davids trials remind us of the fact that we are not in control, He is!