Singing Myself into His Presence

Psalm 100 

On your feet now—applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter,
sing yourselves into his presence.

Know this: God is God, and God, God.
He made us; we didn't make him.
We're his people, his well-tended sheep.

Enter with the password: "Thank you!"
Make yourselves at home, talking praise.
Thank him. Worship him.

For God is sheer beauty,
all-generous in love,
loyal always and ever. 

•

I just wasn't feeling it this morning.

I wanted to have my usual meeting with You

over a cup of coffee and a side of toast.

But the night had been long.

Sleep still beckoned to my eyes, to my head.

The Words I read at first just laid there

on the crisp page. 

The dullness settled. 

Oh how it tugs at my very core.

Calling me to burrow down, 

to cover myself all up in 

the tang of sadness –

the melancholy wants me

to stay, to dive deeper.

•

A white-tailed deer drinks from the creek;
   I want to drink God,
      deep draughts of God.
   I'm thirsty for God-alive.
   I wonder, "Will I ever make it—
      arrive and drink in God's presence?" 

Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
      Why are you crying the blues?
   Fix my eyes on God—
      soon I'll be praising again.
   He puts a smile on my face.
      He's my God.  

Psalm 42:1-3, 5

•

Give me your lantern and compass,
      give me a map,
   So I can find my way to the sacred mountain,
      to the place of your presence,
   To enter the place of worship,
      meet my exuberant God,
   Sing my thanks with a harp,
      magnificent God, my God.

Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
      Why are you crying the blues?
   Fix my eyes on God—
      soon I'll be praising again.
   He puts a smile on my face.
      He's my God. 

Psalm 43:3-5

•

Turning from that bitter-sweet sadness

can be so hard.

Why?

Why does is my heart drawn to sadness?

Why does my heart want to sing the blues?

I choose You, Lord.

You teach my heart to sing.

You lift my head and help me see the beauty – 

the sunshine, the green leaves waving in the breeze,

the sleepy smiles of my kids as they crawl from bed...

You are with me. 

You hear my cry.

I will enter Your gates with thanksgiving,

I will enter Your courts with praise.

I will sing myself into Your presence.