3 Ways David’s Song of Praise Helps Us Pause and Thank God for All He Does
We exist to have a relationship with Him, and to bring Him glory through the purpose He has planned for us. Each and every day, we are walking in the generation God has purposefully placed us in. Scripture says He knit us in our mother’s womb, knows every hair on our heads at any given time, and He knows the number of our days. Though unfairness is everywhere in our world, we can trust God to defend, protect, and fight for us. He is faithful. “Do not be afraid of the nations there,” Deuteronomy 3:22 reminds us, “for the LORD your God will fight for you.” Psalm 84 says:
“For the LORD God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. O LORD of Heaven’s Armies, what joy for those who trust in you” (Psalm 84:11-12).
“Let the whole earth sing to the LORD!
Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.
Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.
Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.
Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise!
He is to be feared above all gods.
The gods of other nations are mere idols,
but the LORD made the heavens!
Honor and majesty surround him;
strength and joy fill his dwelling”
David’s Song of Praise teaches us to be thankful for what God will do in our lives. Each day begins with new mercies from the Lord. Lamentations 3:23 says:
“Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”
Psalm 118:24 says:
“This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.”
We can take these two verses alone and personally pray them over our lives each day, and into our futures. God is here today, and He will be here tomorrow. He will be the same God He is now, then, and forever. His mercy is never-ending, and His faithfulness is rock solid. He made this day. He will make the next day. And so, because we trust in who He is, we can rejoice and be glad. Nehemiah wrote:
“Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!” (Nehemiah 8:10).
When we bring our present and future worries to the Lord, we choose to fix our eyes on Him and what He is capable of. God has the power to soften anyone’s heart – even our own on a bad day, when we’re feeling so offended, hurt and hopeless we can’t even force a smile. In those moments, we can choose instead an attitude of thankfulness, and proclaim as in David’s Song of Praise above:
“Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.
Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.
Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise!”
“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever” (1 Chronicles 16:34).
David’s Song of Praise teaches us to be thankful by remembering who God always has been, is currently, and always will be. It’s in who God is that our thankfulness is rooted. If we never stop to notice God, we will miss many opportunities to be thankful – not only for who He is, but for who we are as His children.
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Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Takako Watanabe
