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“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!”
Psalm 118:1

Hello My Friends,

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. The first line in Psalm 118 sums up so much in our faith. We give thanks because we worship a
God who is good. Still, what does it mean to give thanks? When should we give thanks? What if we are in the midst of a tragedy?

Giving thanks, for me, is showing appreciation for the multitude of blessings that have been provided to us from God. To show that appreciation though, we need to have eyes and ears to recognize the blessings. One person’s view of a blessing might be another’s view of a tragedy.

Bad things happen. Often through them or in the midst of them, the glory of God is revealed. Even when we know the event is coming and are prepared for it, the shock can send best intentions sideways. I can’t help but think of what the disciples were going through from the end of the meal in the upper room to just before the empty cave was discovered.

Jesus was clear with the disciples about having to go to the cross. This didn’t mean they had to like it or even that deep in their hearts they believed it. Peter was adamant he would not deny Jesus, still he did it three times. In the presence of chaos, it would have been very difficult for the disciples to see the blessing that Jesus has bestowed upon them.

For us, however, it is much clearer to be thankful for Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. We can give thanks for Jesus’ sacrifice and be thankful for all He has done for us as we have the lens of perspective.

Recognizing the blessing in the moment can be hard, which leads us to faith and the second part the verse in Psalm 118:1. We give thanks to the Lord, FOR HE IS GOOD. It is important to give thanks in the difficult times because above all, we know God is good.

When I have gone through tragedy, while it was hard to see in the moment, I have been able to look back and see blessings that surrounded. Maybe the support of family and friends, maybe the nurse that prayed with us, maybe the moments of calm that came after the storm. The challenge I face today may be surrounded by blessings once time and perspective has had a chance to settle.

In the moment life can be heavy, still let us give thanks because God is good.

With much love,
-Pastor Brian