David gave ovations of praise to God for his protection and help. Though David still had problems, he knew that God was powerful and faithful and always worthy of praise.  Daivd ran to Him in times of troubles, when he was pursued by the enemies against him, and in loss and sorrow.  To David, God will always be God, even when his sins darkened his path to God.  David revered God as the One in charge so God is the One and Only One who should “get all the credit” for Life!

Psalm 30, The Message

A psalm. A song of David. For the dedication of the temple. 

I give you all the credit, God—
    you got me out of that mess,
    you didn’t let my foes gloat.

^2-3 God, my God, I yelled for help
    and you put me together.
God, you pulled me out of the grave,
    gave me another chance at life
    when I was down-and-out.

^4-5 All you saints! Sing your hearts out to God!
    Thank him to his face!
He gets angry once in a while, but across
    a lifetime there is only love.
The nights of crying your eyes out
    give way to days of laughter.

^6-7 When things were going great
    I crowed, “I’ve got it made.
I’m God’s favorite.
    He made me king of the mountain.”
Then you looked the other way
    and I fell to pieces.

^8-10 I called out to you, God;
    I laid my case before you:
“Can you sell me for a profit when I’m dead?
    auction me off at a cemetery yard sale?
When I’m ‘dust to dust’ my songs
    and stories of you won’t sell.
So listen! and be kind!
    Help me out of this!”

^11-12 You did it: you changed wild lament
    into whirling dance;
You ripped off my black mourning band
    and decked me with wildflowers.
I’m about to burst with song;
    I can’t keep quiet about you.
God, my God,
    I can’t thank you enough.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Praise for everything? Really? Even the bad stuff?  1 Thessalonians 5:18 says “In everything give thanks . . .”

Sometimes that’s easier said than done. Life assaults us regularly with illness, financial difficulties, harmful relationships, and all manner of obstacles. Giving thanks for God’s blessings is easy. Giving thanks during difficult times is much harder. And yet, the Bible clearly teaches that we can indeed be thankful, no matter what the circumstance we face. I’ve learned that is in these very times of difficulty is when God’s Holy Spirit speaks the loudest with power to guide my thinking back to level ground with my rock-solid faith sustaining me.  Have we stopped to consider that it is in the difficulty that we are nearest to God!  Could it be this what James meant when he wrote;

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.” James 1:2-8

To stop difficult circumstances from intruding our lives would be like trying to hold back Hoover Dam by sticking your finger in the weak place of the dam that is about to break!  Let the work of Christ in us do His work for it is in these times that we draw closer still to God as we give up our own foolish efforts to fix while relying on Him to grow and mature us through it all!  God wants us to succeed in producing the fruits of His Holy Spirit—His character. (See Galatians 5:22-23 for the list of traits/fruit)

 When all is said and God’s will be done; we are the winners of a growing faith that sustains us in all areas of life with a bonus—contentment.  Contentment comes from gratitude and praise to God no matter what is currently testing us.  A song I still sing in my heart is an old gospel song by Donna Alley based on the book of Job whose famous words still ring true in my heart— “Yet will I trust Him”.

These are the lyrics—

In everything give Him thanks, give Him thanks.
In everything give Him thanks.
In the good times praise His name;
In the bad times do the same;
In everything give the King of Kings all the thanks.

With all the good things that had come his way,
Is it any wonder you could hear Job say,
“The Lord giveth and He taketh away…I’ll still give Him thanks.”
But when the tables were all turned around,
And Job’s world came crashing down,
His faith in God caused Job to say “I’ll still give Him thanks.”

Hear this song presented by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir at this link: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UN4rwsAQfyU and be blessed while giving praise and credit to God for all things!

Lord,

Thank you, thank you, thank you for it all, for being in all, for helping us through it all!

To you be the glory, honor, and praise!

In Jesus Name, Amen