{Text: Psalm 9:1-2}
Are we ever exempt from thankfulness? Some of you, probably all of us, have lived through something that we felt entitled to be less than grateful for. Life is life and sometimes, often times, life is hard. As believers, are we called to pretend it’s all fine and move forward with big smiles on our faces?
I think no. I think David, the author of psalm nine, is an amazing example. David lived through yuck, he messed up, he had enemies and problems galore. If He’d had a picture of God that was limited to believing in Him when life was perfect, the Psalms would’ve been much shorter. Instead, he lived out his faith in His heavenly Father but often lamenting the pain of HIs life while simultaneously counting the things God have given Him to be thankful for.
If we’re people who can only praise God in good, have we limited our view of Him? Is He good only in the sunshine? Is our life good only when all the things are going just so? No way. You can lament and pour your heart out to your Father in happiness and pain, plenty and want. But don’t excuse yourself from recounting His wonderful deeds. Give thanks with your whole heart — even the bits that are hurting.
So needed this! Thank you Jesus for meeting me right where I am, and thank you to the writers for allowing the spirit to use you to touch the lives of others!
Praise God for this word reminding us that we can praise Him in our pain! Praise God for his sovereignty and every good and perfect gift!
I have been finding myself complaining about my current circumstances and asking God why hasn't he taken me out of it by now, its been three years. Instead what I need to be focused on is learning from this circumstance and thanking Him that it's not worse than it is because it certainley can be. God has protected me from so many things and I ought to have a THANKFUL heart instead of a SELFISH heart.
So thankful for this group and the heart of everyone who shares. I find myself thanking God for the good things and feeling almost as though I shouldn't bother Him with the bad things – giving myself an excuse to gloss over the bad things in my relationship with Him… and that's not at all how He desires for us to commune with Him. Thank you for this reminder of praising Him with our WHOLE heart – even the parts that feel ugly or don't feel like praising Him.