Public Gratitude

Since moving to North Carolina, the little church I have attended is doing a summer series on the Psalms. Unlike any other part of the Bible, the Psalms bring comfort, guidance, and wisdom into our lives through Hebrew poetry and song. They illuminate the greatness of our God, affirm His faithfulness to us in times of trouble, and remind us of the absolute centrality of His word. The book of Psalms expresses worship. Throughout the many pages, we are reminded who God is and what He has done for us.

Moving is never easy. We have moved seventeen times, and the process has never been effortless. It isn’t easy physically, emotionally and spiritually. Some moves are more challenging than others, and this move for me has by far been the hardest. A part of that is because I’m older, and the physical demands are more taxing on the body. Also, I left a place that holds beautiful memories, a place close to home, surrounded by supportive and praying friends, and my list can go on and on. Even though my body hurts, my heartache has been the most painful. And I have lamented my pain to God, family, and friends.

In Psalm 116, the psalmist professes, “I love the Lord for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.” God hears our prayers and comforts us in our anguish because “He is gracious and righteous, our God is full of compassion” (vs. 5). The psalmist then goes on to ask an interesting question. “How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me?” (vs 12).  Christians know that we can never repay the Lord for our salvation, but the psalmist encourages us to give the Lord recognition by lifting up “the cup of salvation” and calling to Him. Then he goes on to say, “I’ll complete what I promised God I’d do, and I’ll do it together with his people” (vs 14, The Message). In verse eighteen, he repeats this promise to God and adds that it will be done with thankfulness. There are no conditions attached to this repayment for the psalmist. He doesn’t promise to fulfill his commitment or be grateful only if life goes his way and events like moving don’t get in the way.

Gratitude journals are trendy; even if you don’t record them, gratitude should be a part of our prayers and daily life. It’s easy in times of distress to get bogged down with the negative, but the psalmist reminds us that gratitude is what we can return to God. He goes one step further than writing it in a journal. He tells us to express it in the “presence of all his people.” Telling others how God has blessed us, in times of trial especially, is our witness. Everyone knows that life is hard, but they need to hear how God is there with us every step of the way.  Moving has been challenging, but I’m blessed to live closer to my daughter, attend church with her, be close to friends, and live in a beautiful home and neighborhood. I am using this platform to profess those blessings to you because I admittedly have not done well with publicly expressing gratitude during this transition time. God has been with us every step of this journey. He has provided praying and supportive family and friends, and He deserves the gratitude and the glory. “In the house of the Lord in the heart of Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!” (vs 19). And that’s your Tuesday Tidbit.