Charles R. Swindoll - Living the Psalms: Encouragement for the Daily Grind

ENCOURAGEMENT for the DAILY GRIND

CHARLES R.
SWINDOLL

Copyright 2012 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc.

Published by Worthy Publishing, a division of Worthy Media, Inc., 134 Franklin Road, Suite 200, Brentwood, Tennessee 37027.

HELPING PEOPLE EXPERIENCE THE HEART OF GOD

eBook available at www.worthypublishing.com

Audio distributed through Oasis Audio; visit www.oasisaudio.com

Library of Congress Control Number: 2011944877

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

The content of this book was derived from the previously published Living Beyond the Daily Grind, Books I and II.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New American Standard Bible. Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version.

Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message. Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Scripture quotations marked TLB are taken from the Living Bible.

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ISBN: 978-1-936034-70-3 (hardcover w/ jacket)

Cover Design: Chris Gilbert, Gearbox
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Printed in the United States of America
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Before getting underway, I must pause and express my gratitude to Byron Williamson of Worthy Publishing. Byron has been far more than a business associate in the publishing business. He is a true friend whose sincere affirmation fuels my fire. Along with him I thank Mark Gaither, my son-in-law, who is also my excellent editor. His careful attention to detail has been of inestimable value and my gratitude knows no bounds. And I also want to mention Sealy Yates, my longtime friend and literary agent, who has no equal in diligence or in commitment.

Words fail me as I attempt to describe the depth of my gratitude to my wife for her understanding, unselfishness, and encouragement. Without her willingness to adapt to my writing schedule; to listen patiently to my incessant reading of what I have written; to prod me on during the dry spells; and to tolerate the late-night, middle-of-the-night, and early-morning flashes of insight that kept the light burning over the desk in my home studythere is no way I could have reached this milestone.

Without a song the day would never end;

Without a song the road would never bend;

When things go wrong a man aint got a friend,

Without a song.

I got my trouble and woe,

But sure as I know the Jordan will roll,

Ill get along as long as a song is strong

In my soul...

Even though this song was composed before I was born (which makes it a real oldie), I often find myself returning to the tune. It slips out in places like my shower at the beginning of a busy day, between appointments and assignments in the middle of a hectic day, and on the road home at the end of a tiring day. Somehow it adds a touch of oil to the grind, smoothing things up a bit. Willie Nelson blew the dust off the old lyrics when he recorded it. I still sing them to myself...

Without a song the day would never end;

Without a song the road would never bend;

When things go wrong a man aint got a friend,

Without a song.

True, isnt it? The right combination of words, melody, and rhythm seldom fails to work like magic. And given the pressures and demands folks like us are forced to cope with on a daily basis, we could use a little magic. Most of the people I know are never totally free of a relentless daily grind.

The homemaker with ever-present children at her feet faces fourteen or more hours a day in the grind of meeting deadlines, making decisions, competing with strong wills, and completing an endless list of chores.

The professional experiences a grind of a different type: people, people, people... especially dissatisfied people who would rather scream and sue than smile and solve, which only intensifies the drain brought on by increasing expectations and decreasing energy.

The truck driver has an altogether different but equally exhausting routine: the grind of traffic snarls, weather hazards, thoughtless drivers, and monotonous miles.

Then there is the grind of repetition the athlete must live with: unending hours of practice, weight training, road work, watching films, perfecting technique, fierce competition, injuries, loneliness, boredom, exhaustion... only to wake up to another day of the same song, fifth verse.

And who can deny the exacting requirements of academic pursuits? Students and faculty alike must live with the ceaseless, cyclical grind of daily preparation and assignments, attending class, doing projects, choosing electives, cramming for exams, grading papers, and (hopefully) earning a degree or tenure.

Fact is, the grind is not going away! The salesperson has to live with a quota. The performer must constantly rehearse. The therapist cant escape one depressed soul after another. The pilot has to stay strapped in for hours. The preacher is never free of sermon preparation. The broadcaster cannot get away from the clock any more than the bureaucrat can escape the hassle of red tape. Days dont end... roads dont bend... Help!

Instead of belaboring the point, since we cannot escape the grind, we must find a way to live beyond it. The question is, how? The answer is, a song. Remember? Without a song the day would never end. But not just any song! Certainly not some mindless, earsplitting tune yelled at us by a bunch of weird-looking jerks with blue and orange hair, dressed in black leather and spikes, and microphones stuffed halfway down their throats. No, not that. I have in mind some songs that are really old. Were talking ancient. In fact, they are the ones inspired and composed by our Creator-Godthe original Rock music with a capital R. Theyre called psalms.

These are timeless songs that have yielded delicious fruit in every generation. Theyre not silly ditties, but strong, melodious messages written with lifes daily grind in mind and specially designed to help us live beyond it. Thats right, beyond it. To borrow again from the songwriter, Well get along as long as a psalm is strong in our souls. I really do believe that. Why else would God have inspired those age-old compositions? Surely, He realized the lasting value of each musical masterpiece and therefore preserved them to help us persevere. They drip with the oil of glory that enables us to live beyond the grind.

I could go on for pages. In fact, that is exactly what I intend to do! Since Gods Book is full of such songs, I am convinced it is worth our while to spend our time pondering and applying these wise words and timeless principles woven through the Psalms.