My Strength, My Song
by Abiding Love
Psalm 118:14 — The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
Some days are “good” days. Those days I wake up refreshed and eager to embrace the work (or the play) that the day has in store. Anxiety, tension, and stress are low, while energy is high. Those are the days I turn up the radio on my drive to work and sing along. I would bet that those who work in our office know those days because I often come into church humming a tune as I walk down the hallway.
Some days are “bad” days. These are the days I feel worn out and sapped of all strength. Just getting out of bed can seem like a monumental task. On these days, the tasks seem so much bigger, so much harder. Anxiety or stress can mount and can leave me low. These days I am more quiet. The radio gets left off often. An extra cup of coffee is needed for some boost to power through.
There are two similar realities about each of these days. On both days the work before me hasn’t changed. How I perceive the days has much more to do with my heart than it has to do with the activity. It has more to do with the internal and my mind/soul than it does with the external tasks I have to perform.
The second truth about both days is that God’s abiding love doesn’t change. Jesus died and rose again. So he has become my salvation. He has rescued me from sins, so that I can live today in the peace of forgiveness. My redeemer lives so that I can live today joyful and calm as I am aware of His caring presence in my life. My savior lives to hear my heart’s prayers and to promise the best answer. My redeemer lives to give me a crown of life when I finish this race that I am running, that is, when I finish my time on earth.
Jesus has become my salvation. So he is my strength for those bad days and my song for the good days. When I feel weak and weary, burdened and anxious, what Jesus has done for you and me is exactly what I need to find spiritual rest and a renewed spirit to go on in the day faithfully serving. And on those good days when I feel great? Instead of just forgetting about Jesus, what Jesus has done is exactly what I need to hear so that I am reminded what is of greatest importance. Because Jesus is my salvation, I don’t have to join the world’s tunes about what is so great, but my song can be about how great Jesus is and how blessed I am by his grace.
I don’t know what kind of day you are having, but I do know this. Jesus has become your salvation. He died for you. He rose for you. He lives for you. He will come back for you. He loves you. He forgives you. He rules all things for you.
May that be your strength if today is a bad one, and may it be your song if it already feels good.
Peace in Jesus,
Pastor John Gensmer
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