Weary Praise

June 12, 2019

It’s been a busy day drawing on whatever physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental resources I possess, which granted, may not be very formidable. Nonetheless, I am tired, and the day’s work won’t be over for another two or three hours. It is all the more important then, that I turn my mind to gratitude. When one is weary, it is tempting to see everything in a negative or bland mindset, which is poisonous to the soul. 

In 1 Samuel 30, David ran into a bit of bad luck. While away from home, a raiding band of Amalekites attacked his home city, hauling off whatever plunder they could carry, including the wives and children of David’s men, who were so unhappy with the situation they talked of mutiny. Verse 6 tells us David’s response: he “strengthened himself in the LORD his God.” The text doesn’t go into detail as to what David did to strengthen himself, but we know from the psalms he wrote that whenever he found himself in distress, after he had finished pouring out his woe to God (his version of a pity party), he found something for which to give thanks and praise. 

Focusing on the problems is a necessary evil. We can’t solve problems until we examine them carefully to determine a course of action. But if all we do is focus on the problems, sooner or later, they will get the best of us. At some point, our attention needs to shift to God, who is always bigger than our problems. Failure to do this often results in a spiral of emotional and spiritual despair. But if in the midst of the problem we learn to praise, we take command over our emotions and even our situation, which even if it does not improve, gets placed in perspective by our praise. So tonight, I praise and give thanks. It will not fail because God is the object of it, and he does not fail.