Last week was the beginning of the Hello Morning’s Advent Study – – Greatly To Be Praised. It’s a wonderful time to turn our thoughts and focus onto Thanksgiving and Advent.

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We opened with reading Psalm 96, and it is a psalm chock full of suggestions (aka – commands) for us:

• “sing to the Lord”
• “praise His name”
• “tell everyone about the amazing things He does”

And that is just in the first few verses!

I was so struck with the reminder this psalm brings to us – all the nations will recognize our God.

This psalm reminds us that our hope should rest not in any leader or government, but in God alone. Only our God will bring justice and righteousness and only when He returns to this earth.

My commentary brings this quote:

“Before Jehovah’s awesome throne
Ye nation, bow with sacred joy;
Know that the Lord is God alone:
He can create; and He can destroy.”
(Isaac Watts)

May we remember that the rule and reign of our God is unrivaled and people everywhere are called to praise Him.

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Mid week our attention turned to read Psalm 130 and our focus was centered on waiting.

The psalmist was waiting on the Lord to come, to respond and his confidence was found in one thing: “I have put my hope in his word.” (verse 5b, NLT).

The psalmist knew the Lord was faithful to His Word, His promises would not be broken because God cannot lie. He also put his hope in the unfailing love of our Lord which will never let us down.

“Waiting on God requires the willingness to bear uncertainty, to carry within oneself the unanswered question, lifting the heart to God about it whenever it intrudes upon one’s thoughts.” (Elisabeth Elliot)

Maybe this morning is a good time to remind us of all we must do while we wait. Reading the psalm brought to mind this song:

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Our final reading last week was Psalm 116:10-19. I was drawn to verse 10:

“I believed in you, so I said, “I am deeply troubled, Lord.” (NLT)

This is where our prayers all begin – in believing God is, God can, God will, and God hears.

This was the very foundation upon which the psalmist was able to say, “I am deeply troubled, Lord. Help!”

But there is more. This very foundation also brings us to say, “I will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord” (verse 17, NLT).

In believing, we are able to offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving – thanking Him even when we don’t feel we can do so. That very posture of thanksgiving causes us to call on the name of the Lord even more so, in every time of distress and hardship.

Sometimes thanksgiving is a challenge, which is why it is called a “sacrifice of thanksgiving”. What thanks will you offer God today?

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God’s rule and reign is unrivaled.
Even as we wait upon God for help and answers,
may we offer Him a sacrifice of thanksgiving.

Today I am joining … Recharge Wednesday .