“Praise the Lord, all you nations! Extol him, all you peoples!
2For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!” Psalm 117
In preparing a devotion for a Northwest Synod of Wisconsin Candidacy Committee meeting, I came across the shortest Psalm in all of the Bible, Psalm 117. In a way, this short and sweet says it all. It is about all, nations and people, praising God for His love and faithfulness. More so, God’s love and faithfulness extends to us forever. That is Gods’ promise to us.
Sometimes we need to remember this. When I read this to our Candidacy Committee, it was -14 outside. Many had traveled pretty good distances to come to a meeting along icy and sometimes treacherous roads. It was fairly early in the morning. It is easy to be crabby in that kind of situation. To be down. To complain about the weather, the roads, the drive, even spending a full Saturday away from family this time of year.
It is easy for us to complain in life, to forget the steadfast love and faithfulness of God, to forget to praise God for the blessings of this life. Besides super-cold weather, we all suffer in some way. Maybe we are burdened by stress and anxiety during this holiday season. Maybe we are filled with grief or pain. Maybe we are struggling with depression or feelings of loneliness. Maybe we have relationships that are fracturing or down right hurtful.
Yet, despite these things, there are always things to praise the Lord about. The forgiveness and grace given to us in Jesus Christ. Healthy and loving relationships. Food, clothing, shelter. The sounds of Christmas music or the joy at receiving a Christmas card in the mail from an old friend. The beauty of snow covered trees and the sun shining in our windows. There is much that we can praise the Lord about each and every day.
Take a moment every day to praise God for a blessing your life, most especially for God’s love and faithfulness that is poured out for you every day. For that you can say, “Thanks be to God!” Amen