But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who long for your saving help always say, “The Lord is great!” Psalm 70:4

It’s easy to say, “The Lord is great” when things are going well. When our prayers are answered, when life is progressing smoothly, when we feel blessed with good health, but what about when we’re longing for God’s saving help? At such time do we always say, “The Lord is great”?

Regardless of what God does for us, whether he heals us or not, whether he restores relationships or not, whether he blesses us financially or not, he’s still worthy to be praised and one day everyone will confess his greatness.

As new covenant believers, we can reflect on the Cross and realizes God’s greatness in sending Jesus to die for us. Yet David realized God’s greatness before he understood the Messiah would suffer for the sin of the world. How much easier for us to stir ourselves to proclaim his greatness.

Yet, it’s not that simple. We don’t like being in situations where we’re longing for God’s saving help. David isn’t imagining that scenario, he’s actually in it as he writes, “But as for me, I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; Lord, do not delay” (verse 5).

Even when we’re seeking God and his saving help we can rejoice and be glad, not in our circumstances but in the Lord. We can think of the Cross and know he is a good God who cares for us. We can remember David and other Old Testament characters who had far less information than us but celebrated God’s greatness.

We always have cause to say, “The Lord is great.”