Psalms 9:1-2 I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart;
I will tell of all Your wonders. I will be glad and exult in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
The most often given commandment in the Bible is to thank the Lord, praise Him, worship Him, and glorify Him for everything. While we are here in Oahu enjoying the weather, the beaches, our family, and the beauty, it is easy to take it all for granted and forget to say thank you repeatedly. I have been trying hard to say thank You, Lord, all day long. We are having such a good time with all the grandkids, the times of fellowship, and the enjoyment of God’s creation.
But I have an even harder time saying thank You and rejoicing when things are bad and everything is falling apart. Rejoicing is as essential for me when life is hard as it is in good times. When you are on the beach in Hawaii, it is easy to say thank You, Lord. It is hard to thank the Lord when times are hard.
James 1:2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials. It would certainly be an act of obedience of our will rather than from our emotions to say thank You if something terrible happened to one of our kids or grandkids.