March 12, 2011 (Various Psalms)

I am reading a book called "One Thousand Gifts" and I am seeing God's Word through a different lens now. The premise of the book is about thankfulness - and I am seeing that theme woven through scripture. In this verse I was struck by the phrase "as the law requires" - God's law required thankfulness.

^122:4 All the tribes of Israel—the Lord’s people—
      make their pilgrimage here.
   They come to give thanks to the name of the Lord,
      as the law requires of Israel.

Next I read several psalms where the psalmist is asking for God's deliverance, and in doing so is recounting all his troubles. They seem very 'discouraging'. But then I saw this ending to one like that:

^28:6 Praise the Lord!
      For he has heard my cry for mercy.
 ⁷ The Lord is my strength and shield.
      I trust him with all my heart.
   He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.
      I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

And I saw where our focus changes our perspective. If our focus is on our problems, then we are discouraged and 'down in the mouth'. But if our focus is on God and His trustworthiness, we 'burst out in songs of thanksgiving'!

Psalm 42 was my last Psalm for today, and it seemed fitting to end this way, because once again, the psalmist shows us that our focus determines our outlook:

⁵ Why am I discouraged?
      Why is my heart so sad?
   I will put my hope in God!
      I will praise him again—
      my Savior and ⁶ my God!

   Now I am deeply discouraged,
      but I will remember you—
   even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan,
      from the land of Mount Mizar.
 ⁷ I hear the tumult of the raging seas
      as your waves and surging tides sweep over me.
 ⁸ But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me,
      and through each night I sing his songs,
      praying to God who gives me life.

When we get our eyes off of our troubles and onto Him who pours out His unfailing love upon us, then 'through each night we can sing His songs', 'praying to the One who gives us life'.