Prayer: Father, You lift me up when I am down. You change my countenance when I frown. You put a kick in my step and launch me into the day with confidence and optimism. Amen.
Reading: Psalm 30 key: vs. 6b & 12
Weeping may stay for the night,
but joy comes in the morning.
12 You turned my mourning into dancing.
You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.
Attention: Do you stand in need of a touch from God? A word of encouragement from the Word this morning? Do you identify with the psalmist who cried last night? Are you mourning the loss of a job, a pet or a loved one?
The psalmist credits Adonai as the source of the change of attitude, of perspective. Adonai brought “joy” in the morning and in the mourning! We all can get a case of the blues. Things are just not working out as planned or hoped for. The relationship we desire is illusive. The job we want hasn’t appeared. We walked out to our car and found four flat tires. We received a phone call with sad news.
Adonai is our source of strength, of faith, of joy. “He removed my sackcloth,” the psalmist proclaims. Sackcloth was a garment people wore to make everyone around them aware of their mourning and suffering. Are you wearing sackcloth today? Are you lonely and depressed?
Like the psalmist, I have discovered the One who turns my sorrow “into dancing.” He is the lifter of my head! Scripture and praise will always help to lift you out of depths of despair if you allow it? When our focus turns from “inward” to “outward,” our eyes are lifted off ourselves and onto the source of our everything and our spirit is lifted.
Are you wearing sackcloth today and need a change of clothing? With the help of Scripture and the Holy Spirit, shed the heaviness and burden of sackcloth in exchange for “joy.” Joy is available as soon as you are ready to trade mourning, sadness, depression for “joy.”
Action: I exchange my sorrow today for the “joy of the Lord is my strength.”
Yield: I am yielded when I allow Adonai to lift my sorrow and replace with joy.
Engage: I am engaged with Adonai when I allow Him to change my sorrow to joy.
Relationship: I am in full relationship with Adonai when I allow Him to be my strength.
Prayer: Father, You do not want me to stay in my sorrow for lengthy periods of time. I need not to stay locked into depression for extended periods of time. You are my hope, strength, and confidence. Lift my head, change my countenance. You are God, You are my God. Amen.
Memory Verse: Psalm 3:4
4 But You, Adonai, are a shield around me,
my glory and the lifter of my head.
Music Video: My life is in your hands – Kirk Franklin
Remember, “Abide in Jesus, today!”