31 Let heaven celebrate!
Let the earth rejoice!
Let the nations say, “The Lord rules!”
32 Let the sea and everything in it roar!
Let the countryside and everything in it celebrate!
33 Then the trees of the forest will shout out joyfully
before the Lord, because he is coming
to establish justice on earth!
34 Give thanks to the Lord because he is good,
because his faithful love endures forever.
Reflection
Israel had been defeated in battle and the Philistine’s had captured the Ark of the Covenant. David, in these verses, is so grateful to God for restoring the Ark to his people, that he feels that even heaven and nature are grateful to God for restoring the symbol of faith and God’s presence. These verses of thanksgiving tell us of God’s faithfulness and enduring love.
Feeling thankful is easy when good things happen in life. Feeling gratitude brings us joy and celebration. Feeling thankful during the tough times is hard because we don’t feel like we have anything to be grateful about when our lives are so disrupted. When life is getting us down, it’s time to stop and remember. Remember all the things that God has done for us, and remind ourselves of God’s enduring love.
Lately it seems we’re struggling to get through a normal day and the last thing we need to hear is that we need an “attitude of gratitude”, or, “to count our blessings.” While it may be true, it doesn’t feel helpful. We would rather be delivered from our painful circumstances. That’s why remembering all that God has done for us is a good place to start when we feel sad, fearful or angry and we aren’t feeling thankful.
What do we remember? That God’s faithful love endures forever! God loves us with an unshakable love. God has redeemed us to eternal life through the sacrifice of God’s only Son, Jesus. God has blessed us with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to guide us. We are the children of God’s Kin(g)-dom. God has written our names on the palms of God’s hands, and even knows the number of hairs on our heads. God is our good shepherd watching over us, sharing our joy and our pain. God is good and we love and give God praise for all God has done, and all that God continues to do for us.
By Jeneene Reduker
For Pondering & Prayer
Have you ever experienced a time in your life that you felt so much gratitude to God that it seemed even nature celebrated with you? Can you remember a difficult time when you experienced God’s enduring love for you? Write down a few things God has done for you and give thanks.
Prayer: Loving God, you are our God, and we praise you. We give you thanks, in the midst of our joys and our sorrows, for your enduring love. We remember all that you have done for us and we give thanks for your faithfulness, knowing that whatever we face, you will be with us. Amen.
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