My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises!
Psalm 57:7 (NASB)
Thanksgiving is transformational. When I give thanks, my mind and heart shift. I am not imprisoned by my present. My sorrow, frustration, and pain—and, yes, longing—remain, but they aren’t the focus anymore. I have changed the perspective.
How? By remembering the past and looking forward to the future. I recall how I have been blessed in the past. I look for the trees, the signposts of God’s great love, mercy, and grace. I look forward to the future with “adventurous expectation.” I ask God to accomplish His plan rather than the one I think is good for me. I say, “You’re good and trustworthy, God. I trusted You in the past. I trust You for the future. I can trust You with the present.”
As I thank Him and sing praises, my aim changes. The theme and passion of my life becomes “the supremacy of God” (John Piper, “Let the Nations be Glad!”). I return to praying for “far more” and ask God to be glorified in all I say and do. I ask Him to help me be mindful of who He is and what He has done and is doing.
I ask for transformation, which occurs as I give thanks. Thanksgiving corrects my course. I know which way to walk, and I walk in it with all my might, as David did. My heart becomes steadfast as I remember my great God and all He has done, is doing, and will do—not just for me but for the entire world. God is a big God. He is strong and mighty. He is with me in the hurting and the thanksgiving. He never leaves.
Because of that, no matter what is going on in my life or how discontented I am, I can and will join with the psalmist. “I will sing, yes, I will sing praises!” I will give thanks. In the thanksgiving, I will be transformed. My heart and mind will think of better things. They will be set free from their preoccupation with the present and self so that I can live in that present and become the woman God desires me to be.
Image: Michael Thurber (Creative Commons)