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Jan 07, 2020 2155 Ellen Hogarty, USA
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Starting the New Year With the Lord’s Song

I have difficulty saying “No.” If someone is in need, I immediately want to respond and help. I do not like letting people down. However, this can quickly lead me to overcommitting and spreading myself too thin.

During an extraordinarily busy month with a lot of added stresses, I was reading Psalm 42 in my daily meditation. This verse stood out and grabbed my attention. “By day the Lord bestows His grace and at night I have His song …” (Psalm 42:9). I let the truth of this scripture settle into my soul and sink down deep.

The first part of the verse, “By day the Lord bestows his grace …,” reminded me of one of my favorite scriptures: “The favors of the Lord are not exhausted, His mercies are not spent; they are renewed each morning, so great is His faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23). That passage has sustained me over many years. If I come to the end of a day feeling tired and discouraged, wondering how I am going to keep going, I recall these verses and tell myself, “Just get through this day, go to bed and in the morning God’s graces will be renewed.” No matter how depleted I feel, the Lord always provides what I need for the next day.

The key is to stay in the present moment, knowing that we have the grace for today but not yet for tomorrow. The Lord gives us the graces for whatever we are facing that very day. That is His promise. He will take care of tomorrow when it comes.

The next part of Psalm 42:9 says “at night I have His song.” My picture of this verse is God singing over us as we sleep. What is His song? His song speaks of His love and delight in creating us for a great purpose and of His loving care for us. (See at Zephaniah 3:17 for another scripture that talks about God singing over us.) His song renews us and gives us what we need, as we sleep.

Reading this psalm gave me consolation and strength during that very intense month when financial stresses and relational conflicts also demanded my time and energy. Although I felt overcommitted, whenever I felt tense I reminded myself “The Lord has provided the grace I need for today. Tonight He will sing His song over me, restoring my strength and giving me what I need to face the next day.” This beautiful image from the Word of God carried me through to the end of deadlines and commitments.

As we begin the new year, take heart and call this to mind. Whatever you are struggling with—the pressures of life, relationship problems, financial needs, job stresses—remember that God has the graces you need each day, ready and waiting. At night, He will sing His song of refreshment and love, healing and restoring your soul so you can face each day with courage and peace.

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Ellen Hogarty

Ellen Hogarty is a spiritual director, writer and full-time missionary with the Lord’s Ranch Community in New Mexico. She blogs at cacklescorner.com.

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