Praise the Lord
Scripture Reading — Psalm 92:1-5
It is good to praise the LORD … proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night.
—Psalm 92:1-2
Psalm 92 is an invitation to begin and end each day by giving thanks to God for his love and faithfulness. The Living Bible paraphrases it this way: “Every morning thank him for his kindness, and every evening rejoice in all his faithfulness.”
But what if you don’t look forward to a new day? It’s easy to be thankful when everything is going our way. But what if your health is failing or you are confined to your home? Some people spend their days in bed, unable to do the things they want to do. How do you give thanks when life is nothing but a disappointment?
A friend showed me that it is possible to give thanks regardless. Every time I went to visit him, he would say, “God is so good.” That was his testimony, even though he had been confined to his bed for at least ten years, unable to move. When I asked him how he could say that, he said, “When I became ill, I was bitter. I used to ask, ‘Why me?’ But God’s grace has made it possible for me to thank him every day for his faithfulness.”
If it seems almost impossible to thank God, ask him for grace to learn to say thank-you in spite of your difficult circumstances. In Romans 8:39 the apostle Paul tells us why: nothing can “separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” That, says Paul, is reason enough to give thanks.
Lord, give us the grace to praise you in spite of what might happen to us. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
About the author — Arthur J. Schoonveld
Rev. Art Schoonveld is a retired minister in the Christian Reformed Church. Before retiring in 2001, he served churches in California, Illinois, and Michigan. Since his retirement he has worked part-time for the denomination and has served as an interim pastor. Art and his wife, Anita, have four children and nine grandchildren.
Start your day with quick daily devotions.
See God's love, power, presence, and purpose in your life every day!