Giving Thanks
(NRSV) Ps 108:1 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and make melody.
Awake, my soul!
2 Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn.
3 I will give thanks to you, O LORD, among the peoples,
and I will sing praises to you among the nations.
4 For your steadfast love is higher than the heavens,
and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
and let your glory be over all the earth.
6 Give victory with your right hand, and answer me,
so that those whom you love may be rescued.
(NRSV) 1 Thessalonians 5:16 Rejoice always,
17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
(NRSV) Hab 3:17 Though the fig tree does not blossom,
and no fruit is on the vines;
though the produce of the olive fails,
and the fields yield no food;
though the flock is cut off from the fold,
and there is no herd in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD;
I will exult in the God of my salvation.
19 GOD, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
and makes me tread upon the heights.
We have had another tumultuous night, with a large swath of tornados and hail spanning from Arkansas through Tennessee and Kentucky. Many awoke this morning to cataclysmic destruction. And yet we praise Him.
How can we praise God in the midst of storms, whether they are literal or symbolic? We praise God regardless of our circumstances because we understand the steadfast nature of God and His great love for us. And we know that whether we are afflicted with sickness, or we find ourselves in the path of tornadoes, that God is not the source of evil. Instead when we, like Habakkuk, can come to the understanding of Who God is, then we can praise him whether we are in good times or bad.
May we purpose in our hearts to focus not on our difficulties, but instead keep our eyes on the One, True and the Living God. And when nature seems to spin out of control, pray Psalm 91, that wonderful psalm of protection. Remember, there is no more powerful prayer than praying the scriptures. So read these words aloud, letting them soothe your fears and strengthen your faith.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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