I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done. Psalm 9:1
Have you ever spent much time around an envious person? Being around envious people is not fun, is it? Envious people are bitter, unhappy, and self-focused. They negatively impact the environments they enter. A much more pleasant person to spend time around is a grateful person. Grateful people are joyful, humble, and positive. They also impact the environments they enter, but for the better. If we want to let go of envy and its negative impacts, we have to choose gratitude, not only recognizing the gifts God has given us but also thanking Him.
Earlier this week, we looked at a parable from Jesus that warns us against envy found in Matthew 20. In this passage of Scripture, a landowner hired workers throughout the day to work in his vineyard. At the end of the day, he paid each one of the workers, regardless of how long they had worked in the vineyard, a day’s wage. In this parable, those who worked at the beginning of the day expressed frustration that they were not paid more than those who joined much later in the day. Instead of envy, they would have done better to express gratitude. After all, they had been paid what the landowner promised. Gratitude to the landowner, however, was never expressed. They never thanked him for paying them for their work.
We can learn a lesson from the envious workers in Jesus’ parable. We can choose gratitude each and every day instead of envy. One person who demonstrated remarkable gratitude was David, as seen in many of the Psalms. He wrote in Psalm 9, “I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done” (verse 1). David was committed to praising God and showing Him gratitude with everything in him. Part of showing gratitude is remembering and naming all of the good things our good God has done for us. That is exactly what David did in this chapter. He recounted how God had given him victory over his enemies, celebrating all that God had done.
My friend, if God has done good to you, and He has, He deserves all of your gratitude and praise. His goodness to us must not be taken for granted. Take time today to recognize God’s goodness to you and to praise Him for all He has done. He deserves every bit of the praise you will bring.
Earlier this week, you were encouraged to make a list of 10 ways God has been good to you. Return to that list now. If you have not yet made that list, take a moment to make that list today. Then, pray, thanking God specifically for how He has been good to you.
“God, in light of Your extraordinary goodness, I worship You because…”
Going Deeper
Psalm 9:1-20
1 I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done. 2 I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.
3 My enemies retreated; they staggered and died when you appeared. 4 For you have judged in my favor; from your throne you have judged with fairness. 5 You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; you have erased their names forever. 6 The enemy is finished, in endless ruins; the cities you uprooted are now forgotten.
7 But the Lord reigns forever, executing judgment from his throne. 8 He will judge the world with justice and rule the nations with fairness. 9 The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. 10 Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.
11 Sing praises to the Lord who reigns in Jerusalem. Tell the world about his unforgettable deeds. 12 For he who avenges murder cares for the helpless. He does not ignore the cries of those who suffer.
13 Lord, have mercy on me. See how my enemies torment me. Snatch me back from the jaws of death. 14 Save me so I can praise you publicly at Jerusalem’s gates, so I can rejoice that you have rescued me.
15 The nations have fallen into the pit they dug for others. Their own feet have been caught in the trap they set. 16 The Lord is known for his justice. The wicked are trapped by their own deeds.
17 The wicked will go down to the grave. This is the fate of all the nations who ignore God. 18 But the needy will not be ignored forever; the hopes of the poor will not always be crushed.
19 Arise, O Lord! Do not let mere mortals defy you! Judge the nations! 20 Make them tremble in fear, O Lord. Let the nations know they are merely human.
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