Lord, I hope this day is good

Good Wednesday morning, my friends.

The other day a friend of mine sent me the lyrics for an old Don Williams song (not that there are many new Don Williams songs).  So, me being me, I went to YouTube to hear the original.  After listening to the song, I looked through the list of other songs by the same artist and saw one with the interesting title "Lord, I Hope This Day is Good" and couldn't help clicking on it.  Here are the lyrics:

Lord, I hope this day is good,

I'm feeling empty and misunderstood.

I should be thankful Lord I know I should,

But, Lord, I hope this day is good.

Lord have you forgotten me 

I've been prayin' to you faithfully

I'm not saying am a righteous man

But Lord I know you'll understand.

I don't need fortune and I don't need fame,

Send down the thunder, Lord, send down the rain.

But when you're planning just how it will be,

Plan a good day for me.

Lord, I hope this day is good,

I'm feeling empty and misunderstood.

I should be thankful Lord I know I should,

But, Lord, I hope this day is good.

You've been the King since the dawn of time,

All that I'm asking is a little less cryin'.

It might be hard for the devil to do,

But it would be easy for you...

Lord, I hope this day is good,

I'm feeling empty and misunderstood.

I should be thankful Lord I know I should,

But, Lord, I hope this day is good.

Wow, there are many days I can relate to those words.  This actually reminds me of a lot of the Psalms, where the authors are crying out to God for a sign, for help, or for deliverance.  Consider for example, the opening verses of Psalm 88:

  O LORD, the God of my salvation,

         I have cried out by day and in the night before You. 

  Let my prayer come before You;

         Incline Your ear to my cry! (Psalm 88:1-2)

Do you think that God has a problem with us coming to Him with our complaints?  Well, considering how many Psalms there are in the Bible that have this theme, I suspect He doesn't mind at all.  In fact, I would go so far as to suggest He encourages it.

Aren't there days we all feel like this?  If you can relate to the words of this song, then sing them to God as a prayer.  Or read through the Psalms and find one that speaks the words you want to say to God.  He is listening.  He is always listening.

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace to you today,

Bruce

O Lord, perhaps no other psalm is more consistently negative than this one (Psalm 88). 

The psalmist cries out to You for help, blames You for his dire condition, and cries out some more. 

There is not a word of praise, or confidence, or hope . . . except in verse 1, when You are called "God of my salvation."

In desperate times, Lord, You are still our Savior. 

Even when You seem not to answer us, we continue to cry out to You because You are our only hope. 

You're not just the God of salvation in general, but the "God of my salvation." 

You are the Savior who knows us and saves us personally.

By Your grace, Lord, I'm not desperate today in the way of Psalm 88. 

But I know others who are, as so I lift them before You now ...

(http://praythepsalms.com/?p=12)

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca