The Good Things
“He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Psalms 103:5 NLT
I have a sticky note on my desk that says, “Encourage someone today!” Yes, I wrote it myself so that I wouldn’t forget to not only encourage others, but to remember to encourage myself. While you may think that it sounds foolish to encourage myself, let me ask you a few questions.
Have you found yourself more frustrated, fearful, sad, anxiety ridden, and overwhelmed in the past months? Have you noticed if most of the people around you appear to be feeling the same way? I would say that for the most part we all agree to a big “yes” to answer these questions.
“And, since so many people are wearing a mask—myself included, then no one could see if I was smiling or not. All that they could see were my eyes and all that they could hear was the tone in my voice. ”
The above passage in Psalms is what provoked my self-examination. I began thinking about my own interaction with others in the past several months. Did I leave a positive or a negative impact? And, since so many people are wearing a mask—myself included, then no one could see if I was smiling or not. All that they could see were my eyes and all that they could hear was the tone in my voice. So, what did my eyes and the tone of my voice reveal? What did I leave behind – a reflection of a Jesus loving, joy-filled life? Or, did I leave behind a downtrodden soul, fearful and depressed from all that is going on?
One of my previous pastors used to say, “I think myself happy!” When I first heard this phrase, I didn’t understand what he meant at all. Quite honestly, it made me laugh. But then I realized that the Apostle Paul said this when he stood before King Agrippa in Acts 26:2 and the phrase made perfect sense.
This idea is substantiated in many passages in the Bible but let us look at the above passage of scripture in Psalm 103. King David was a man who loved God with all of his heart. Yet, he was chased after by King Saul who sought to kill him; and, David ran from cave to cave just trying to survive.
In I Samuel 30:6, David’s men were angry and wanted to stone him. But that same verse goes on to tell us that “…David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.” One thing that we know about David is that he knew how to shift his thinking, shift the position of his heart and emotions from dwelling on whatever situation he was facing at the moment to one of praise. And that is what he did.
David began to worship. In verses 1-5, He began to list all of the good things in his life. The benefits of loving God who healed his diseases, who redeemed his life from the pit and crowned him with his steadfast love and mercy. His God filled his life with good things - God’s favor and grace supplying David’s needs and desires, which in turn renewed his body, mind, and spirit.
No, it isn’t the month of November where we focus on thanking God for all of our blessings. However, what better time than now to stop and think about all of the good things in our life? What better way to lift our spirits and change the atmosphere of those around us, than to join as King David did in reflecting on the benefits of the Lord, praising, thanking, and worshiping God?
Paul states in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” NIV
I am not suggesting the power of positive thinking. But what I am offering is a challenge for us to see, focus on, and even list all the good things we have been afforded! I say like Paul and my previous pastor, it is time we decide to “think ourselves happy!”
Jesus taught the disciples that their worth to God was more than the sparrows – and Jesus said that God does not forget the sparrow. Jesus then went on to say that God knows the number of hairs on each head.