GIVE THANKS
"Psalm 105: 1-3
"Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name: make known to the nations what
he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful
acts."
It's easy to believe in God, to praise Him, sing to Him and tell of His wondrous
acts when things have gone well. God has blessed me with wondrous miracles, my
wife of 40 years, saving my son from almost certain death from cancer, giving
me a new heart twelve years ago, giving me wonderful healthy children and
grandchildren. How easy it is for me to sing God's praises.
But
there is a flip side. I don't need God as much as I did 24 years ago when
my father, twin brother and mother all died unexpectedly within a year or so of
each other and the doctors told us my son wouldn't live to puberty. I
don't now feel as close to God as I did when
this world was not wonderful for me. When one is empty of this world and
God is so necessary for one to go on, He touches you, He befriends you, He walks near you and puts you back on your feet. That
is when you are closest to Him. I came back to His church 24 years ago
and continue to sing His praises for miracles past and present but the goodness
of the world tries to come between me and God to some extent. God blesses
those who mourn, who are hurt, who are empty of this world, more wonderfully,
so if you don't feel like singing God's praises right now because of pain or
worldly troubles or depression, open your heart. God will come in and
raise you up so you can sing His praises too. Remember, that's what Easter is
all about, glory from disaster.
Dear God, when we are in need please lead us from our disasters to your glory
and make us to praise your name. Amen.
Paul Starke