Getting Over the Blahs

          Most everyone has at one time or another, days that I might label as being “blah” days. These days are not so exciting and it is usually cloudy outside with a little drizzle. It just seems like things are not too exciting on a “blah” day. I remember Chuck Colson giving a lecture at our school and he talked about the “prison shuffle.” The men just walk along with their heads down and their feet barely getting off the floor just sort of shuffling along like a flock of sheep, only the sheep would probably be more exciting to watch. What does it take to get us out of the “blahs?” Psalm 119:164 says, “Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments.”

         The Psalmist here praises God seven times a day because of God's righteous judgments. The words “righteous judgments” is one of the terms that the Psalmist uses to describe the Word of God. There are several terms that are used throughout this particular Psalm. There are 176 verses and all but 5 of those verses speak about the Word in one way or another. In all of the Psalm we soon learn about the Psalmist and his love for the Word of God. It is always amazing how the Word of God lifts you up when you are in a “blah” day. In this passage, the Psalmist says that he praises God seven times a day. Have you ever had that experience? How many times a day do you here yourself praising God? Something might take place that shows God's handiwork and we reply, “Praise the Lord.” A person might share what God has done in their life and we might answer, “Praise the Lord!” This Psalm also speaks about the fact that the person that loves the Word of God has great peace or how the Word of God is a light unto our path or how the Word of God can cleanse our own ways and that it is the Word of God that is instrumental in keeping us on God's path in our lives. The average believer today has no real reason for having a “blah” day as we have access to the Word of God in ways that were never before possible. We do have our personal, hard copy of the Word of God. It might be in our brief case or on the corner table filled with papers or other mementos of things that we don't want to forget. We can also have a copy of God's Word on our computers and not only that, we can have and probably do have a copy of the Bible on our precious telephone. Thousands of smart phones, tablets, lap tops and other electronic devices such as CD's all give us access to God's Word in a way that is unparalleled in other time period in history. Many of them sit dormant. Computers are resting in social media programs, phones are set to calendars and directions and sports events while we continue to have our “blah” day. There is no reason for it to be that way when the Word is so accessible to us. Assess however does not make it happen. Now, you don't have to wait for a “blah” day to discover what God is doing and what He is going to be doing in the future or even what He did years ago. The Psalmist said he praised God seven times a day. You might as well say that He was always praising God. You try to praise God seven times today and see if it doesn't chase away he “blahs.” You soon find yourself praising God for His love as seen in John 3:16 or for the fact you can do all things through Christ as seen in Philippians 4:13 or that God will supply your need as seen in Philippians 4:19 or that Jesus is coming again as sen in John 14:1-6 or that God's Word will accomplish what it was meant to accomplish as seen in Isaiah 55:11 You will find that God's Word will chase away the “blahs” before you even know it is happening. It might be that you will open your leather Bible or turn on your phone app that has the Bible in it or the verse that came to you in an email, but God's Word will excite you beyond your wildest imaginations. Praise God indeed for His Word and how it is working in your life today.