From Anguish to Thankfulness

I began my morning with a hymn called, Thanks to God.  

As I began to read the words and hum the tune, I realized this hymn seemed to cover every single thing I should be thanking God for on a daily basis.

And it reminded me of David's anguished prayer that had turned to praise!

"Blessed be the LORD, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications.  The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him." Psalm 28:7-8

Has something ever happened in your life when you felt like your heart turned to stone when you heard the startling news?  Has there ever been a time when sudden fear took over and it was so overwhelming that you didn't really know what to do?

David experienced such things.  He hid in caves from his enemies.  Those who he was most loyal to, sought to take his life.  In Psalm 28, David expressed such confidence, trust and praise in the LORD.  He knew that God would rescue him from the wicked and preserve him in his distress.  He prayed to the Good Shepherd to guide his way.  Psalm 28 is a companion to Psalm 26, but here the danger David faced was eminent.

According to Albert Barnes, David transitions from an anxious plea for deliverance into a confident song of praise, thanking God for hearing his prayer and interceding for the nation of Israel.  In a moment of anxiety, David's prayer brought a calm, settled, assurance. 

"And suddenly, the prayer becomes a song of praise, an act of adoration."  Morgan

David was overwhelmed by sudden fear, and so he began to pray, and as he began to pray, God's calm assurances rained down upon him and his fear turned into complete trust, which then turned into pure praise.

Praise will remove all fear.

I love that because I've been there.

There have been times in my life when I was down on my knees at the foot of my bed praying for God to help me to just get through the day, and although my prayer began in such anguish, the longer I prayed, my words turned to thankfulness that God was hearing my prayer. 

My fear began to wane, and I had the assurance that no matter the outcome of my situation, everything was going to be ok.

It will be for you to.  Just start praying.

God hears you and He is listening...

    Pray, and soon your prayer will turn to praise...

         But that's just me!

"My dear friend, if you can say, 'The LORD is my strength,' you can bear anything and everything."

Charles Spurgeon

Thanks To God

From the Swedish and translated by C.E. Backstrom

'Thanks to God for my Redeemer, Thanks for all Thou dost provide!

Thanks for times now but a mem'ry, Thanks for Jesus by my Side!

Thanks for pleasant, balmy springtime, Thanks for dark and dreary fall!

Thanks for tears by now forgotten, Thanks for peace within my soul!

Thanks for prayers that Thou has answered, Thanks for what Thou dost deny!

Thanks for storms that I have weathered, Thanks for all Thou Dost supply!

Thanks for pain, and thanks for pleasure, Thanks for comfort in despair!

Thanks for grace that none can measure, Thanks for love beyond compare!

Thanks for roses by the wayside, Thanks for thorns their stems contain!

Thanks for home and thanks for fireside, Thanks for hope, that sweet refrain!

Thanks for joy and thanks for sorrow, Thanks for heav'n'ly peace with Thee!

Thanks for hope in the tomorrow, Thanks through all eternity!