I’m thanking you, God, from a full heart, I’m writing the book on your wonders. I’m whistling, laughing, and jumping for joy; I’m singing your song, High God.
3-4 The day my enemies turned tail and ran, they stumbled on you and fell on their faces. You took over and set everything right; when I needed you, you were there, taking charge.
Psalm 9:1-4 The Message
How often do you wake up in the morning feeling thankful? Do you arise with gratitude to God from a full heart? I hope so. We may not do the jumping, but our hearts can most definitely be laughing and singing God’s praises. King David experienced an overwhelming sense of joy as he wrote this psalm. It comes across vividly through his language. Although David had been through many ups and downs in his life, he is thankful, from the bottom of his heart. He wants to spread and share his joy and praise, in every way possible.
This Psalm, perhaps more than others, may cause us to evaluate how we offer praise to God. Are we overwhelmed with an awareness of God’s countless blessings? Do we seek to share His praises and love with others? If not, ask yourself how you can work to become more like David. Here, the Psalmist expresses his joy in various ways. Why? One expression of joy would simply not be enough!
Besides being a psalm of praise, this psalm is a song of God’s deliverance. King David rejoices over the deep and very meaningful ways in which God rescued him. When everything was going wrong in David’s life, and he felt powerless to stop it, the Lord stepped in and rescued him.
Sometimes we may not realize that God’s hand has been at work, rescuing us. When we look back, do we see paths we took that were guided by the hand of the Lord? Do you express your gratitude and thankfulness to Him for delivering you and protecting you? This is a question worth pondering.
I believe the Lord loves us when we express ourselves to him honestly, forthrightly, and with a spirit of thankfulness in our hearts.
Prayer
Lord of joy,
You seek to show me the path to peace and happiness with You. You also encourage me to show others that same path. Help me to embrace those opportunities to introduce others to You, and to show them the way. Forgive me when I shy away, feeling unprepared to spread Your word. When people speak with me, and are in my presence, I pray that they might know You through my actions, and my words. Keep me humble, and let me be open to new ways of learning about You. May I always be ready to sing Your praises, just like Your servant David. I pray this prayer in the name of Your Son, my Savior and Rescuer Jesus Christ.
Amen
