“I will exalt you, Lord, for you rescued me. You refused to let my enemies triumph over me. O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health. You brought me up from the grave, O Lord. You kept me from falling into the pit of death. Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones! Praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. When I was prosperous, I said, “Nothing can stop me now!” Your favor, O Lord, made me as secure as a mountain. Then you turned away from me, and I was shattered. I cried out to you, O Lord. I begged the Lord for mercy, saying, “What will you gain if I die, if I sink into the grave? Can my dust praise you? Can it tell of your faithfulness? Hear me, Lord, and have mercy on me. Help me, O Lord.” You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!”
Psalms 30:1-12 NLT
In many ways, giving thanks to God is a utilitarian exercise. David shows us that it should be done because it is logical to do even if it is not intuitive to do. The divide between the two is brought down to the problem of man’s finiteness. The scope of man’s foresight and ability to act is limited by his physicality. This means that man has a hard time seeing beyond the time and space of his location and immediate circumstances. Yet, because of God’s character and consistent revelation, we should realize that it is always better to be disciplined by him than disavowed.
We should realize that there is always a vast array of reasons to be thankful to him, even if they are beyond our limited scope. In this way, thanks is to be an act of faith upon the knowledge of his character and promises. It is not a response to his actions but a forecasting of them. In the way that God’s grace and salvation are always imminent in the life of a believer, thanks and praise are to be imminent from his mouth as well. It is the prime orientation of a believing mind. This is an important fact when you consider that many wish to make God prove himself in time and space before they will give him praise. This is not faithful at all.
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