AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

 

Psalm 119:61-62. The bands of the wicked have robbed me: but I have not forgotten thy law.” Verse 62: “At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments.”

 

The “Bands” here means company. Who is the company? It could be anything that tries to rob us of our joy, such as the tribulations, trials, temptations, and other challenges that we go through in our lives. Yet King David, in the above scripture said, he has not forgotten what God requires of him. What is the law of the Lord? Obedience. Obedience to what? Obedience to his commandments, regardless of the circumstances surrounding us.

 

Let's use the cross in our analogy. We are to carry the cross from Station A to B. How fast we get there is what matters, because if you have a heavy cross on your shoulder to carry from Station A to B, it will be wise to go straight to your destination without spending time trying to resolve every little problem along the way.

 

David had so much stress as King, who went through many trials, yet he said he has not forgotten what God requires of him; he would not disobey God, backslide, nor give up. With the Holy Ghost (Christ) in us, we are expected by God to have the same attitude, if not better, because we have more power in us than King David had (The Holy Ghost was not yet given; it was given after Jesus was glorified).

 

Verse 62: “At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments.”

 

The scripture also means I will give thanks unto the Lord also when something wrong happens to me, because God’s judgment is never wrong. What we see as hopeless is never hopeless in God’s eye.

 

This scripture has three scenarios:

• At Midnight

• I will rise to give thanks unto thee, and

• Because of thy righteous judgment.

 

Let’s break the sentence into its three key components and their spiritual meaning:

 

- Midnight: Unexpected circumstances and events that overwhelm us.

 

- I will rise to give thanks unto thee: I may be caught off-guard, yet I will thank God that it did not cost say my life. Note that even death could be worse, if say the body cannot be identified or found. Therefore, we give gratitude to God for whatever happens. It shows spiritual maturity.

 

- Because of thy righteous judgment: God can never go wrong in his judgment. Sometimes we just do not understand what he is doing. The best thing to do is wait and never question God.

 

We must have a mind of gratitude towards everything that happens to us, because it could be worse without God’s grace and mercy.

 

Psalm 136:1-3.

Verse 1 “O GIVE thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.” Verse 2: “O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercies endureth for ever.”

Verse 3: “O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.”

 

1. “O GIVE thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.” 

 

The key statement here is “FOR HE IS GOOD.” God is good. He has always been good to us; he lets the rain, fall on the just and unjust. We need to remember God when we receive blessing such as pay raise; he spiritually touched your boss, and we must remember to show gratitude. We may thank our boss for the pay raise, but we need to remember that God made it happen through his grace and mercy.

 

2. “O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercies endureth for ever.”

 

The key statement here is “GOD of gods.” The gods here refer to possession and things or people that we cherish and sometimes worship. It could be our wives, kids, cars, jobs, etc. Yes, he made it happen. We need to acknowledge the blessing, but we need to remember the position of God in the mist of the blessing. Never put anything above God or his mercy and grace. We need to remember to give gratitude to where it is due.

 

3. “O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.”

 

The key statement here is “LORD of lords.” The word lords here written in small letters refers to people of position and authority that God has instated in this world. For example, the president of a country or pastor or your boss at work. Whatever we benefit from those earthly lords (written in small letters), we must remember to thank the one that instated them and not just the lords (Presidents, Governors, teachers, district head, etc.). Oftentimes people love their boss, because he or she gave them a pay raise; we need to love God who instated that person.

 

Verse 26: “O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.”

God’s mercy is priceless. If you think God has not done enough for you, think of Calvary. He went though severe torture, pain, and he was hanged on a cross for sins that we committed. You and I should be on the cross and not Jesus who had no sin. If Jesus had not laid down his life to establish the church, the devil will have nothing to hold him back and we would all be destroyed spiritually and physically. The only thing that is stopping the devil from destroying us is the church. Therefore, as long as we are receiving the breath of life, we need to "give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth forever."

 

Ephesians 5:20. “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

This means we must give thanks in all things, even for walking and staying healthy, etc.

 

The earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof. Everything above, on the surface, and beneath the earth belongs to God, so he deserves our gratitude for all the benefits that the earth provides. Ephesians 5:20 says for all things, either good or bad, we must thank the Lord. Ephesians 2:20 and Psalm 119:62 consolidate (Strengthen) each other.

 

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3. “We give thanks to God always for you all making mention of you in our pray.”

 

We need to thank God in our prayers for what he has given us, such as our spouses, our children, our friends, and foes. You may be wondering why I added foes. God may use our enemies to strengthen us, to cause a blessing to fall on us. Remember, we must be broken in spirit for God to be able to use us. To be broken in spirit means to be humble, meek, and loving. God may not use a person that is boastful, proud, selfish, self-centered, wicked, unforgiving, disobedience to the Word of God, and lacks compassion for others.

 

1 Thessalonians 1:5-18. “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

 

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God …”  What a statement. If we would always remember that it is the will of God that we give thanks in every thing, we would feel his comfort, in spite of what we are going through. When serving God, always remember God’s promise that he will never leave you nor forsake you. God allows the trials and see how we handle difficulties. There is a saying that goes, “Heaven is not for whimps.”