Giving Thanks During Difficult Times

​As Thanksgiving approaches, it may be hard to feel thankful.  Our nation has been hit hard with catastrophe, tragedy, and unprecedented violence.  From the fires in the west to the hurricanes in the south and flooding in the east and numerous shootings throughout, no region has been spared from calamity.  Many people are hurting and broken.  Some are destitute without a home, while others have lost loved ones without having the chance to say goodbye. 
 
Our hearts hurt for those who have lost everything, and we’re heavily burdened for those who have no hope.  So this Thanksgiving, how can we rejoice and give thanks when our world seems to be falling apart?  

​As I’ve pondered that question, I came across a few verses penned by the psalmist David which is our answer to the hard question of how to give thanks during difficult times. Thankfulness has never been about an emotion.  It should not be based on how we feel, because feelings change based on circumstances.  Rather, gratitude for all that God has given us is appropriate for any and every season of life—the good ones and the bad.  And even if we can’t seem to find one thing to be grateful for—which if pondered long enough is impossible to do—we can always give thanks to God because of who He is.  As the David wrote:

“The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.  The LORD is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.  Oh, save your people and bless your heritage! Be their shepherd and carry them forever.”
~Psalm 28:7-9

​David’s life wasn’t exactly easy.  Yes, he eventually became king over Israel; however, his journey to that point was filled with hardship and troubles.  Along the way, he became homeless and lost people he dearly loved.  So David was familiar with tragedy and hardship, and yet he penned these beautiful words of thanksgiving to God.  He didn’t focus on all the things that went wrong or didn’t quite work out, but rather, put his attention on God and who He was. 
 
These verses are both a declaration and a prayer.  David declared the LORD to be his strength and his shield, the one in whom his heart trusted.  It was a statement of fact and a statement of faith.  He believed these things to be absolutely true and trusted in them.  Therefore, he was able to exult in his heart and to give thanks to the Lord.
 
So what about us?  Are we ready and willing to take our focus off the difficult situation we may be facing and put our attention fully on God?  Are we ready to make David’s declaration our declaration?  Are we going to exult or lift up God in our hearts?  Lifting Him up above all the heartbreak, hopelessness, and grief?  Are we going to give the Lord God—Creator and Savior—the thanks due His name?
 
As we get to the same place David was in—where he could praise and thank the Lord no matter the circumstances—then we will be able to look beyond our circumstances and see the needs of others.  We’ll be able to share in David’s prayer for God’s people that God would save them and be their Shepherd and carry them forever.
 
This is what our world needs.  They don’t need more government to fix their problems or more stuff to make them happier.  They need Jesus.  They need a Shepherd who will save them and carry them through the hard times. 
 
We have this Shepherd by our side throughout every good and hard season of life.  So let’s trust Him more and give thanks to Him.  And may we echo David’s declaration and prayer this Thanksgiving.

“The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.  The LORD is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.  Oh, save your people and bless your heritage! Be their shepherd and carry them forever.”
~Psalm 28:7-9