Psalm 41:13

Psalm 41:13

Praise be to the Lord

Four Psalms of pain and anguish have drawn to a close; they started with the words, “Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. Your arrows have pierced me. and your hand has come down on me. Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin.” What follows is a torturous journey with David through the traumas brought on by his physical and mental sickness. We have accompanied this broken man as he faced shattered friendships, threats to the kingdom and the plotting and scheming of his bitter enemies. There have been moments when David thought he would die and that the Lord had abandoned him, there have been few rays of sunshine! So, isn’t it good to end with this verse? Say it out loud, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.”  I am reminded of another very well-known sentence penned by the same man, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for You are with me; Your rod and your staff they comfort me.” Psalm 23 also ends in triumph for, however bad things might be, if our trust is in the Lord God, we will win through in the end. Remember that always. Life can never be a permanent, delightful stroll through waterside meadows; valleys will come, stony upward paths must be trodden and fearful rapids navigated, but because the Lord is with us every step of the journey, we will overcome. And it will always end in praise and worship for that is our destiny.

 

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.”

 

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