April 9, 2021
It’s no wonder so many people walk around discouraged and defeated in life. They don’t begin their day in the right place. For awhile, I got into the habit of starting the day checking the news online, one of the most foolish habits I ever acquired. There is never any good news from the media. They don’t talk about the beauty of a sunrise, the joy of children playing together, or the mystery of love between a man and a woman married for fifty years. Those things don’t get ratings, even though they’re the some of the building blocks of our lives.
I’m melancholic by nature, and have had to learn the discipline of praise and thanksgiving. It doesn’t come naturally for me, but is one of the most significant disciplines I’ve ever learned. Psalm 9 sets a pattern for how to handle the challenges of life, beginning with praise to God for his deliverance and protection before even mentioning the challenges of the day. Only after praising God for his majesty and protection does he speak of the enemies that surround him, but even then they are mentioned only to declare their defeat and destruction, after which he returns to praise as he recalls the works of God.
A correct perspective will never come from an incorrect ordering of life. If I begin the day with the news, it will color everything dark and foreboding. The enemy will only be put in his proper place if i position myself in my proper place at the feet of Jesus.
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