In my morning devotional today I came across this in the Psalms:
"Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
Deep calls unto deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.
By day the Lord directs his love,
at night his song is with me-
a prayer to the God of my life.
I say to God my Rock,
"Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?"
Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God."
~Psalm 42:5,7-9,11
Coincidence? No... just God. God in all His power and might, His love and grace, His sovereignty and omniscience. His ever so tender heart. He knew that He had to give me permission to grieve and feel the pain all over again. But because He is Who He Is. The Great I AM. He also brought my thoughts back to Him and the hope I have in Him. So I can praise Him and thank Him right through the pain.
Exactly one year ago on this date... September 8, 2012... mom went to be with Jesus after her valiant fight with cancer. She and God taught me so much in that year long trial... the reason that I'm still even writing in this blog nearly a year later. Give thanks every day... no matter what!
I remember a day that mom was really beaten down by the cancer... so weak... so wanting to just give up the fight. I was on the phone with her sharing my devotional and scripture readings for the day. All she could do was moan because of the weakness and discomfort. I read, "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1Thessalonians 5:16-18) Mom pulled together the strength to say, "Mmmmm.... I wish everyone lived by that." I'll never forget it and I'll never stop telling that story and quoting that verse. No matter what.
As I've been studying this next verse of thanks. I keep thinking of that "no matter what" mentality. Daniel had this attitude. He knew his God. He trusted Him and knew that praising Him would never be in vain. Would never, ever be the wrong thing to do.
We are to the part of Daniel's story that many of us have known since we were very small children. Daniel in the Lions Den. This part of the story takes place right before Daniel is sent to the lions. Our verse of thanks is what takes him there.
"Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before." Daniel 6:10
The decree that had been published by King Darius was "that anyone who prays to any god or man during the next thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the lions' den." (Daniel 6:7b) That didn't stop Daniel from honoring his God in heaven. The threat of a gruesome death didn't get in the way of Daniel's worship. He knew the power of God. And, as we know, it worked out beautifully for Daniel. He was sent to the lion's den (though the king didn't want to send him there because Daniel was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent, and was favored by the king for his exceptional qualities) because the law was irrevocable. However, even ravenously hungry lions were no obstacle to the Lord and He rewarded Daniel's great faith by saving his life. "My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight." (Daniel 6:22)
Daniel gave thanks to God no matter what. I learned the same lesson through the trial of watching my mother give up this life for the next. The same discipline. In the verses God so generously and graciously gave me this morning, knowing ahead of time how my day was going to play out, was the line that titles my blog... Deep Calls Unto Deep.
Deep things; heartache, loss, trials of life, call for deeper meanings. On my worst days, God calls the deeper meanings to things if I am really listening. My trust must be in Him... and only Him. I can only do that if I look to Him when things are at their worst. I have to be completely dependent upon my Heavenly Father for lifting me up.
When I keep my eyes and my mind on Him, then I get the help God promises. I'm sure you've notice a theme in this pursuit of God's meaning of thanks that throughout the Bible it is very common for God to lift people up; which He does for those that are faithful. Those who really see God's worth even though times are at their worst. No matter what.
"No Matter What" by Kerrie Roberts puts these thoughts and feelings to music. Listen to this song by clicking on this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OCaX4SaFRU
"And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b
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