Thankful, Day Eighty-Five

Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!

Serve the LORD with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the LORD, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

and into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the LORD is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

How many times have I said it? It's easy to be thankful and praise the Lord when everything is great and going my way. When I'm living on the mountain underneath the cloudless sky, when I'm drinking from the fountain that never shall run dry, when I'm feasting on the manna from a bountiful supply, that's when it's easy to throw my hands up and shout and dance about. In fact, just about anybody can do that. But what happens when the storms cloud out the sunshine, when the well dries up, when the manna ceases? What happens when you're down in the valley, in the cold and dark of night, with killers and thieves hiding in the shadows to steal, kill and destroy? What happens when you suffer grief and trial? What happens when you go through trials and tribulation? What happens when the laughter has faded and you're feasting on tears and sorrow and suffering and pain? Can we still praise God then? Moreover, can we still be thankful?

When Job's world came crashing down around him, he fell to the ground and worshiped the Lord saying, "The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord."

When David had lost it all and his closest friends wanted to kill him, he encouraged himself in the Lord.

When Jehoshaphat's enemies came against Jerusalem, he led the choir in a song of praise.

When Jesus begged for escape, he still prayed, "Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done."

When Paul and Silas were in prison, beaten and bound and lying in their own blood and filth with the rats and the roaches crawling all over them, still they praised the Lord.

And what happened? Job got it all back, twice over, and continued to praise the Lord. David pursued, overtook, and recovered all. Jehoshaphat's song sounded like the marching of a might army and put his enemies to confusion and flight. Jesus submission resulted in the greatest triumph of all and the salvation of mankind. Paul's shackles fell off, the prison doors fell from their hinges, and a jailer and his whole household were saved.

We must remember to keep shouting our joyful thanks to the Lord, in good times and in bad, in hard times and in easy, in blessed times and in difficult, when everything goes our way, and when nothing does. We must remember to keep shouting our joyful thanks to the Lord in sickness and in health, in poverty and in wealth, when everyone is with us, and when all have forsaken us. We must remember to keep shouting our joyful thanks to the Lord when the night is dark, when the storm is fierce, when the battle is long, and we are almost overwhelmed. That's when we fix our eyes upon Jesus, and having done everything to stand, stand therefore.

I shout my thanks and praise to God tonight because He has saved me and called me for His own purpose, and He will see me through to the intended end.

I shout my thanks and praise to God tonight because He has always done me right and good, and He will continue to do so.

I shout my thanks and praise to God tonight because He has promised good to me, and His word has secured my hope. What He has promised, that will He also do, even when it doesn't look like He will.

So thank you, Lord. I know it's not as bad as it looks; in fact, I know it's a whole lot better. But I'm going to thank you, no matter what. For you deserve the glory and the honor and the praise for all that you've done, and simply for who you are!