Oh come, let us sing to the Lord ; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord , our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture…
Psalms 95:1‭-‬7 ESV

“Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. What do we do? We swim!.” Ah, those words from that forgetful blue fish Dory in Finding Nemo often come to mind when I am facing unforeseen or unpleasant circumstances. They are not scripture, but they do point me to the truth in scripture they encapsulate.

What’s the truth? Just keep singing. Yes, regardless the circumstances of our lives, we must keep singing–singing praise to our God. Especially when we don’t feel like it. Actually, the very times we don’t feel like praising are the times we should be praising the most.

Why? Because God never changes. Circumstances change. People change. Everything in this life changes. Except God. God never changes.  He is steadfast, immovable, and the same yesterday,  today, and forever. He is our Rock. This means no matter how bad life gets, God is still good. No matter how uncertain our future appears, God is still in control.  No matter how shaky the ground feels beneath our feet, God remains a Firm Foundation.

God is sovereign over all creation. And nothing and no one has the power to take that from Him. This is why we, as the psalmist above declares, are to enter His Presence with singing. We are to sing, not because of what is going on around us, but because of who God is.

And who is God?

For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.

God is great. He is King. And everything–yes, everything–is His. You are His. Creation is His. And even the circumstances plaguing your life this very moment are His.  No, they are not His in that He caused them, for God is not the author of evil. But they are His in that they’re under His authority. If God didn’t want them then God would not have allowed them.

Life’s not easy. I get that. Sickness. Death. Loss. These and so much more blow into our lives like tornadoes, leaving us wondering what just happened as we stare at the debris of what once was. Yet regardless the storms that may rage in our lives (and there will be storms!), God holds us and our lives in the palm of His hands. Nothing surprises him. Nothing is too big for him. And nothing will ever snatch us from His hands.

So remember today, there is no temptation and no struggle that you will face that God does not have the power and ability to walk you through. And there is no struggle or temptation that you may face that will ever change who God is. Therefore, keep walking, and keep singing as you walk. Keep singing knowing that not only is God a great God, but also He is our God, and we are the people of his pasture.