Psalm 065 - Are You Grateful? - Aneel Aranha
Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion;
to you our vows will be fulfilled.
You who answer prayer,
to you all people will come.
When we were overwhelmed by sins,
you forgave our transgressions.
Blessed are those you choose
and bring near to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house,
of your holy temple.
You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds,
God our Savior,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas,
who formed the mountains by your power,
having armed yourself with strength,
who stilled the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
and the turmoil of the nations.
The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
where morning dawns, where evening fades,
you call forth songs of joy.
You care for the land and water it;
you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water
to provide the people with grain,
for so you have ordained it.
You drench its furrows and level its ridges;
you soften it with showers and bless its crops.
You crown the year with your bounty,
and your carts overflow with abundance.
The grasslands of the wilderness overflow;
the hills are clothed with gladness.
The meadows are covered with flocks
and the valleys are mantled with grain;
they shout for joy and sing.
In our fast-paced and often stressful lives, we can overlook the many blessings surrounding us. We get so caught up in our daily routines we end up focusing on our problems and worries, and fail to see the goodness of God and the abundance of his provision. As we sing this psalm, let us pause and reflect on the blessings we receive from God.
David begins by praising God, saying, "Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled" (Psalm 65:1). He then goes on to describe how God's blessings are evident in nature, from the fertile lands and fruitful harvests to the abundant rains and provision for all creatures. We can, unfortunately, miss all this rushing from one place to another and one thing to another. As the saying goes, we must take time to stop and smell the roses.
In his letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul encourages us to be grateful, saying, "Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:19-20).
Elsewhere, Paul tells us to "give thanks in all circumstances" (1 Thessalonians 5:18), which means that it isn't only the good things we need to be grateful for, but also the not-so-good things. Why? Because "we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him" (Romans 8:28). And if we love God, we can be assured that he will make good come out of the bad.
So, let us cultivate gratitude in our lives. Let us pause to appreciate the blessings God has bestowed upon us, big and small. And as we do so, may our hearts overflow with thanksgiving, leading us to live each day with a deeper awareness of God's presence and provision in our lives.
God bless you.
