Echoes of Truth
February 3rd
Theme: Thanksgiving is an Art
When we bless God for mercies, we usually prolong them. When we bless God for miseries, we usually end them. Praise is the honey of life which a devout heart extracts from every bloom of providence and grace – Charles Spurgeon
It is easier to praise God when life is easy but we never learn true praise to God until we have first practised thanksgiving to Him. The wealth of praise offered to God is rooted in abundance of heartfelt thanksgiving to Him.
When we have answered prayers, experienced favour and blessings, thanksgiving feels natural if not instinctive. However, true praise does not wait for favourable circumstances or answered prayers, it is praise even in misery, at all times, like David said in Psalm 34:1.
No one gets to learn praise by skipping the art of thanksgiving. Yes, it is an art that learnt through intentionally shunning the natural human urge to complain, grumble, and find someone to blame when we are in discomforting and inconveniencing situations of life.
Hebrews chapters 3 and 4 highlights how the children of Israel could not enter into God’s rest, the promised land, because they were an uncouth nation who never saw God’s extended mercies towards them each blessed day. They only saw their miseries for their hearts were darkened against God. How could such hearts learn to sing God’s praises when it lacked the fundamentals of gratitude?
Praise has a way of changing seasons. When we bless God for mercies, we often become more aware of them. Gratitude sharpens our vision, helping us recognize and steward God’s gifts well. But when we bless God in misery, something deeper happens. Our hearts begin to loosen their grip on fear, bitterness, and despair because praise lifts our eyes beyond the moment into the very presence of God. A grateful heart is the bedrock of such an experience.
One of the signs of spiritual maturity is being able to see God’s hand in every situation, praising and trusting Him even when you do not understand. This is because our praise is no longer hinged on what God has done but on who God is and an expression of our trust in God’s faithfulness.
When faced with challenges, practice what the Bible says in Phil 4:6-7. Praise the Lord even in the storms of life, then you’ll experience peace that surpasses all understanding that comes from God, and then watch those seasons come to an end.
Soak in this song: Bless the Lord by Nathaniel Bassey
Abba Father, we thank You for speaking to us, thank You for You are good and are God in all our circumstances. Thank You for Your mercies Lord. We ask for mercy in all the times we only praise you only because of answered prayers. Forgive us for being transactional Lord. No matter what happens, help us to keep thanking and praising You. Let there be nothing that would take Your praise from our lips, thank You Abba, in Jesus name. Amen
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