How Gratitude Brings Hope to Our Hearts
By Jessica Van Roekel
"Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!" Psalm 95:1-2, ESV
It’s cold. It’s cloudy. Why does it have to be so windy? These complaints run like a swift-moving river in my mind. If I pay attention to what I think, I’m a little shocked at the negative thoughts running rampant in my brain. Then, if things don’t go the way I think they should, my complaints ramp up to almost accusatory statements toward God and what I perceive to be his lack of care for me.
Complaining is a common part of our human existence and can be contagious. It’s one matter to share our dissatisfactions over some experience and another matter entirely to stay in the chronic complaining loop. One allows a space to process our unmet expectations and the other is a trap designed to turn us into chronic complainers.
The Bible shares the story of the complaining Israelites in Exodus 16, but the chapter before shows them rejoicing. God had just delivered them once and for all from the Egyptians through the parting of the Red Sea. They walked across on dry land, but the Egyptians drowned as the waters came down. Within a single chapter though, the Israelites exchanged rejoicing for complaining.
Imagine the high they felt as they marched out of Egypt, free at last, showered with gifts from their Egyptian neighbors. Then, they walked on the miracle of dry land flanked by walls of water. They celebrated as they hadn’t celebrated in a long time. But then the reality of their freedom set in.
Have you ever experienced an amazing victory only to discover that the reality of walking in that victory was much harder than you anticipated? Me too. God reveals himself to us and sets our feet on new paths. We say yes because it’s what we’ve longed and prayed for, and God is finally fulfilling his promise and answering a prayer. A dream has come true. But then, reality sets in.
This reality brings uncertainty. We’re walking where we haven’t walked before. We don’t recognize the landscape. There are new critters to avoid. The sun scorches us and the clouds bring gloom. Our answered prayers don’t look like what we imagined. Questions begin to fill our minds: Did I hear from God right? Was I mistaken? Is he still leading me or am I out here on my own?
We can begin to complain if our victory doesn’t look like what we thought it would. It’s hard. It’s lonely. The old way looks better than the new way. Complaints flow through our minds and steal our hope. We are not that much different than the Israelites. They looked back because the way forward led through the desert. Their homes were tents, and their food source was God himself. Yet, he provided for them in the desert. He led them to their victory. But their greatest stumbling block was their tendency to complain.
Complaining wars with hope, and Psalm 95 offers the counterattack. Yes, we can praise God through the outward expression of singing songs and speaking about his mighty strength. But this Psalm is challenging us to make sure that our praise and worship comes from pure hearts. We can learn from the Israelite’s rebellion of complaining and choose to receive what God promised. He promised us himself. He gives us his presence, joy, and peace.
Intersecting Faith and Life:
The Israelites lost their way because they forgot to keep expressing their thanksgiving through rejoicing. They struggled with short-term amnesia when it came to God’s faithfulness, love, and care toward them. When we can make gratitude our first response, we keep hope alive because it turns our hearts from what we think we lack to what we have. And what we have is God’s presence, love, mercy, grace, peace, and joy. We can turn our complaining into gratitude, and gratitude leads us to hope.
Further Reading:
Psalm 95
Benefits of Gratitude
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/AaronAmat
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