God hears, he knows, and he is with us, so regardless of what happens, David is thankful that God bends his ear to us (Ps. 28:6). We can be thankful that our prayers and the burdens of our hearts can be brought to God, and he listens to us with the love of a perfect Father. His pain does not go unnoticed and his cries do not go unheard, and neither do yours. The God of the universe, our Father, listens to you and he is present with you. Give thanks.
4. Expect Him to Work
David would gives thanks to God connected to his prayer requests in an expectation for how God will act (Ps. 52:5-9). He gives thanks in advance for what God is doing and what God will do. He’s confident that because God loves him, is for him, has good plans for him, and is at work in his life, God will provide, protect, and deliver him. He gives thanks even as he prays for what God will do, and then he rests in him.
When David flees enemies and seeks God’s deliverance, he both asks for help and thanks God in advance for the help on the way. “But God will break you down forever; he will snatch and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever. I will thank you forever, because you have done it. I will wait for your name, for it is good, in the presence of the godly.” (Ps. 52:5, 8-9)
I think this is partly what Paul has in mind when he writes, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6-7). Where anxiety robs our peace, trusting God and thanking God provides peace and rest. How can you entrust your cares of today to God while also trusting in him and thanking him for what is doing and will do?
5. Look for God’s Hand
David would stir gratitude in his heart when he would give thanks to God for the blessings he saw or knew about. Worry can trap us in the moment, in the hard circumstances, or even in the hypothetical questions racing in our mind. Anxiety and fear can consume our thoughts so it’s all we can see. David fights this by intentionally looking for ways God is at work, has blessed him, or has filled his life with good things. David gives thanks for God’s daily mercy and grace, or the things he sees in creation all around him that are gifts, or God’s provision in his life, or God’s good promises to his people.
“I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased.” (Ps. 138:2-3)
Your life will always have worries and trials, but it will also have many gifts and blessings. We tend to focus more on the worries and trials and neglect God’s work or gifts. But as we choose to look or listen for how God is at work, and as we give thanks, our faith sees that there are many blessings carrying us through the many trials. Let every day be a chance for I-spy-God moments. Your life is full of blessings, even if they feel like small ones, and as we notice them and give thanks our outlook on things begins to change. Like a snowball, little blessings grow into bigger ones and our faith in God grows.
When you see His gifts or taste grace, give thanks to God. Rather than be ruled by worry, we rest and trust in God by giving thanks to God. Think less about the things causing you fear or worry by setting your mind on who God is, what he’s done, how he’s been faithful in the past, and the good gifts he has given you. Drown your anxieties, worries, and fears by immersing yourself in gratitude. Give thanks.
This article originally appeared here.
