Listen

I’ve told the good news of your righteousness in the great assembly. I didn’t hold anything back— as you well know, Lord! I didn’t keep your righteousness only to myself. I declared your faithfulness and your salvation. I didn’t hide your loyal love and trustworthiness from the great assembly.

So now you, Lord— don’t hold back any of your compassion from me. Let your loyal love and faithfulness always protect me.

Psalm 40:9-11

Think

Often when someone asks how we are doing, or they ask what they could do to help us out, our answer is basic: “Okay” and “I’ve got it under control.” Sometimes that may be the case, but most of the time, the answer is much more complicated than our quick quips. This shouldn’t be how our conversations with God go, though.

I love the way Psalms show us how we can bring our whole self to God. The psalmist lays it out – I told them all, I didn’t hold anything back, I told them of your faithfulness, salvation, loyal love, and trustworthiness. Then the psalmist does something bold: after many lines of praise, they make sure their needs are met too in a petition for God’s compassion and help.

Don’t hold back! God can handle our praise and our petitions. When we need God, God is there.

Sarah Karber

Pray

Great Provider, hear me when I call to you. Please help me to share my good and bad days, my ups and my downs, my praise and my petition. As the psalmist said, “Let your loyal love and faithfulness always protect me.” Amen.

Go

Speak to each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; sing and make music to the Lord in your hearts.

Ephesians 5:19