Thanking God in Difficult Times
Yael Eckstein | December 7, 2022
But as for me, afflicted and in pain—
may your salvation, God, protect me.
I will praise God’s name in song
and glorify him with thanksgiving.
This will please the LORD more than an ox,
more than a bull with its horns and hooves. — Psalm 69:29-31
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, a renowned Jewish theologian, once said, “It is gratefulness which makes the soul great.” Please enjoy these devotions focused on gratitude during this season when families gather to give thanks.
Have you ever noticed that people don’t question God when things are going well? This may seem like a simple point, but it’s not. By questioning God and asking, “Why me?” only when we’re struggling, we show that we expect things to go well. If everything is the way we want it, we don’t bother asking.
On the other hand, people tend to praise God only for the overt blessings. Another obvious point? Not really. People of faith say that everything that God does is for the best, that He gives us exactly what we need to fulfil the purposes He has for us. So why don’t we praise Him at all times? Why do we praise Him only when things are as we want them?
The Jewish sages teach that, “Just as we must thank God for the good, we must thank Him for the bad.” In other words, we must acknowledge that God has our best interests in mind, no matter what we are going through.
Thanking God in Difficult Times
And this is exactly what King David teaches us in Psalm 69. We read, “But as for me, afflicted and in pain, may your salvation, God, protect me. I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. This will please the LORD more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hooves.”
Have you ever seen the stars out in the daytime? The answer is no. When the sun is shining brightly, we cannot see the distant stars. It is only in times of darkness that we can appreciate their splendor. In the same way, while it is certainly appropriate to sing God’s praises when everything in our lives is bright and sunny, it is often in the dark times of our lives that we can see Him most clearly.
King David was “afflicted and in pain.” Yet David proclaimed, “I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.” It’s one thing to praise God when everything is going right. It’s another thing to be grateful when things seem so wrong. It’s more difficult, but always possible.
Even in that darkness, there are points of light. Those are the stars of our lives. And as King David affirmed in this psalm, thanking God in difficult times will please the Lord far more than when things are going well.
Your Turn:
Take a moment to reflect on your life. No matter how many challenges you might be facing, ask yourself, “What about my life is great?” Thank God for what you do have. Your gratitude will light up your life.