Chapter 16 gives us David’s great song of celebration. This verse says, “…let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!”  David is the one known as the man “after God’s own heart.” Those who seek God, like David did, especially  through his years of trials and exile, will finally rejoice, celebrate, just like David did, in the presence of his enemies.

After tours on three Navy ships and having traversed the entire globe in them, I’ve learned how to stay calm in storms.  You trust your instruments and stay true to the course you’ve plotted no matter how high the waves or how hard the wind blows. I remember how we all lost our breakfasts in the Sea of Japan during a storm we thought would never end. But we stayed the course and celebrated when we finally docked at Yokosuka.  David is suggesting that those who set God as their course will do the same thing.

Sometimes life seems to take me back into the Seas of Japan! I’m tossed and turned in every direction and I lose more than my breakfast. Lunch and dinner are in danger! (Know what I mean?) Everything is in turmoil and in the midst of the storm I begin to lose my direction.  But, if I “stay the course” it comes out alright in the end.

In the middle of all of life’s storms, keep your sights on God. It doesn’t matter how hard the winds blow, or how high the seas, you’ll make it to port, and then you will celebrate and sing David’s songs like the psalmists before us, “let the hearts of those who seek the Lord, Rejoice!”

Chuck
“You must warn each other every day, while it is still ‘today,’ so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God.” Hebrews 3:13