Psalm 118:28-29 You are my God, and I will praise you;
    you are my God, and I will exalt you.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.

This Psalm has many famous lines, and I was quite torn as to what to write on this time. However, these two verses are worthy of being remembered and quoted constantly, besides having been set memorably to music. We need to be aware of God constantly, that He is not just God in the abstract, but our God, and that awareness needs to be filled with gratitude. Out of that gratitude, we need to worship Him. So often we think of worship as something we do on Sunday mornings in church, but this is talking about a consistent, prevailing attitude. Verse 28 is addressed to God, but verse 29 is an exhortation, to ourselves and to all who will listen to us. We are to be consistent in expressing thanks to God, and encouraging others to do likewise. We are to be aware of the goodness of God and seek to make others aware of it as well. The last line gets translated many different ways, with English Bibles using phrases like “steadfast love” and “mercy.” The Japanese says, “grace.” All of those are certainly representative of God! We do, however, need to remember that He’s not going to change on us, being nice for a while and then being mean. There’s a reason this says “forever!” There is a security in knowing God and His character that can be had no other way, because nothing but God is indeed, forever. That’s why He alone can offer eternal life, as it so famously says in John 3:16.

My life is dedicated to communicating the truth found in these verses, but I’ve got to be careful to keep remembering it myself. I am all too prone to proclaim a truth and then turn around and act like it’s not true. That’s the height of stupidity! I need to live out verse 28 here, as well as proclaim verse 29. My life should be a testimony to the truth of this passage, not because I have everything easy but because God brings me through everything He brings me to. I need to remember that I can indeed handle everything through the One who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13) Some people are ready to receive that message, but many are not. I am to love them all, and pray for them to receive God’s gift of faith, for their salvation and His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the opportunities You are opening up for me to be teaching on spiritual gifts. Help me not “wing it,” but be faithful to prepare properly, guiding people into Your truth so that they will bear the fruit You intend, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!