16 April | EVERYONE
"Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; talk of all His wondrous works!" 1 Chronicles 16:8-9
A dry riverbed through which water flowed only in the rainy season. Fertile land, houses surrounded by palm trees with dates, myrtle croPsalm.. and toads. Lots of toads. This was the Nahal Repha'im basin, where Jerusalem’s Malha neighborhood is located today.
About 3,000 years ago, David sang his first psalm of thanksgiving to God, celebrating the arrival of the ark in the capital of Judah. In just twenty-eight verses, the singer of Israel mentions the verbs "praise," "call," "make known," "sing," "speak," "glorify," "seek," and "remember;” all of them related to the attitude of the heart that recognizes the greatness and mercy of God with His children. This is a psalm of worship, but for David the best way to worship God was to thank Him and make His name known to the nations who did not yet know Him.
When you recognize the wonderful way the Lord has led your life to the present, your heart is filled with gratitude and becomes a wellspring of pure feeling. From Him flows the water of blessings to those who suffer hopelessly in the wilderness of this life.
Make it a point today to speak to at least one person of Christ's love, about who you were before you met Him, and what the Lord did in your life. Your testimony is the best act of gratitude and adoration for what Jesus did for you and for the people you love.
A life without gratitude is a life without memory, without history, and an existence shrouded in the dark cloud of amnesia.
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Praising God is not something He needs, but you do. Evoking what He has done for you and yours makes you feel better, renews your hope, and can be contagious to those who listen to you. Do not forget past moments when God took care of you! And do not forget to share them either.