ABOVE ALL- "Thine, O LORD is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all." 1 Chronicles 29:11
"Thine, O LORD is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all."
1 Chronicles 29:11


Wow is it me, or do we live in some very stressful times? Anxiety is not good for anybody. So much during the day makes me anxious; the pressures and expectations that I face. Listening to the news, my work, unexpected bills, the unforeseen curves that life throws my way. It takes a very determined effort to take my eyes off of the storms of the world. Yet how quickly things change when I go to God with my prayers and thanksgiving.

 

It is good to give thanks to the LORD, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night, on an instrument of ten strings, on the lute, and on the harp, with harmonious sound.  

For You, LORD, have made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands. O LORD, how great are Your works! Your thoughts are very deep.

  
  Psalm 92:1-5  

In the Old Testament the Levites were the people responsible for giving the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for the tribe.  Many of the laws that God gave the Israelites were to ensure that they would never forget the past deliverances that God had given their nation. Things aren’t different for us today- we owe God everything we have, yet how easy it is to forget all He has done and focus on our own self-sufficiency.

 

Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; And to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.

  
  Psalm 50:23  

The best way for me to lose all of the stress that overwhelms me is to focus my attention on God. When we take the time to pray and thank God, we honor and please Him. I wish that I could stop spending so much time thinking about myself and live a life spent giving God the praise and thanksgiving that He is due.

 

Oh, give thanks to the LORD! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!  Psalm 105:1

  
  Praise the LORD!  Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.  Psalm 106:1  
  Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!  For His mercy endures forever. Psalm 107:1  

The Bible reminds us to continually give our praise and thanks to God.  God wants us to be thankful people, yet how often do I take the time to thank Him? Thanking God is the best anti-anxiety medicine ever invented! Praising God re-focuses our attention on the true source of all of our blessings and provision.

When I consider all that God has done for me, yet my time of thanksgiving and gratitude is so small in comparison. How grateful I ought to be during all of my day, not just in the morning and at bedtime. I am the child of a loving and Holy God whose thoughts towards me are innumerable- wow! Psalm 139:17-18

 

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

  
  Philippians 4:6-7  

I won’t ever have a challenge or problem in my life that is bigger than God. Is there a problem anywhere that the one true God cannot solve?  There is only one God, and He knows me by my name. He does not want me living in anxiety and fretting. It isn’t easy to be anxious when I am praising God for who He is and thanking Him for all that He has done. I can be confident in His promise to never leave me, or forsake me.  Deuteronomy 31:6, 8

I often try to compare God’s love for me with the love that I have for my own children. When I consider how much I would sacrifice for one of my own kids in need, it is humbling to think about how much God has already sacrificed and cared for me. He knows about my needs before I even ask Him! How great is our God!

The Morning Commute
I have a ritual with my youngest son where we say a prayer to begin our day as I drive him to school. I now begin the prayer by recalling and thanking God for all of the things that come to mind that He has done for our family and me. We have so much to be grateful for. One morning we got to school my son reminded me that we forgot to ask God for anything in our prayer!

The truth is, God never promised us that we wouldn’t have problems and troubles in the world. He did however promise that He would be with us and that He would cause all things to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.  Romans 8:28

Through Jesus Christ we all have eternal access to the throne of God. He sacrificed His only Son to give us this gift and privilege. My intimacy with God determines the impact of my life here in this world. I hope that I can grow, walk and talk with Him in a way that pleases and honors Him every day of my life.