Singing in Bed

Here we go......another article on the subject of suffering and the child of God.  How many have we already read?  How many more can we plan on hearing?  I am going to back away with my thoughts on suffering and focus on the things God has to say about it.  Read from Psalm 149:

⁴ For the Lord takes delight in his people;    he crowns the humble with victory.
⁵ Let his faithful people rejoice in this honor
    and sing for joy on their beds.

⁶ May the praise of God be in their mouths
    and a double-edged sword in their hands.

The word "humble"  in the 2nd line of scripture is better translated "afflicted" in other versions.  The picture here is one of love from God, and actual delight for his people.  He longs to crown the afflicted with victory. But not many afflicted people feel victorious..  Reading in context from the above scripture, the psalm is about God being praised and taking delight that even the humble and afflicted can celebrate a life of victory. 

I especially like verse 5 where God's faithful express joy for the honor of being God's people and they sing and rejoice from their beds.  Again, here are those of God's people who are afflicted.  And again, for those who suffer affliction are not generally the ones so ready to rejoice.

The picture we have of those people in the latter part of verse 5 is its direction to people who are afflicted, yet still singing for joy from the bed of affliction.  I admire this picture of folks with some sickness or abnormality still in love with their Lord.  And the praise continues to be sent forth to God from their sick beds.

Now, get this picture of verse 6. The praise of God shall be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands. Remember, these are people afflicted with some physical malady, and yet God is crowning them with victory.  Rather than retreating into a wimpy, do-nothing-but-feel-sorry-for-yourself attitude, God wants to crown you with victory!

We easily harbor a "can't do" attitude which evolves from our history of affliction, while God continues to show us how useful we can be when we are equipped with the praise of God in our mouths and the double-edged sword (the Word of God) in our hands.  God wants you to know that victory is yours.

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