Psalm 149 NLT
For the Lord delights in his people; he crowns the humble with victory. Let the faithful rejoice that he honors them. Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds. (4-5)
It is a mistake to think of God as cold, aloof, or far away. That is a common misconception here in Africa. In African Traditional Religion, God is the creator of everything but He is far away and unconcerned with the plight of the common man. Most African tribes have a creation story; the stories vary from tribe to tribe but the themes are often the same. Typically, God creates everything (including mankind) but then because of something that man does (like burning the bush or killing animals) God ascends to heaven in order to get away from him. Therefore, one is forced to appeal to a host of intermediary ancestral spirits to intercede on their behalf to God. If you appease those spirits then there is a chance they will go to God for you to help you in your plight. It is, in many ways, a very sad and lonely perspective on God.
This is not the perspective of the Bible. God is holy and He is glorious, but He is not distant, cold, or unconcerned with man. Instead, the Psalmist says “He delights in His people.” I can totally understand why we should delight in Him. He is everything and He deserves our worship, adoration, and attention. Yet, God also delights in me! I am not saying that I am more special than anyone else or that His purposes (or the world) revolves around me, but still, He delights in me, He cares about me, and He wants me to know victory in my life. We should rejoice that God cares enough to stoop down and tend to our individual needs and concerns. We should rejoice that He is running the entire universe and yet desires to be involved in the most intimate details of our lives. As we take a moment to meditate on God’s greatness and also His individual care for us, nothing less than songs of joy will do.
