When was the last time your heart was so full of God that it overflowed in singing praises to Him? Have you ever burst into song when you were all alone, just you and the Lord? I have done this often. Sometimes it is in the car or while scrubbing the bathroom. This type of praise does not depend on our external circumstances; it flows from a mind and heart stayed on God. In Isaiah 26:3, we are kept in perfect peace because our minds are always focused on God and who He is. This mind trusts Him completely. This mind knows the word and the character of God. There is confidence in Him because of the knowledge about Him. This person knows Him, not just knows about Him, but has experienced Him, and can sing in the darkest moments of life. There is a deep, settled peace because God is in control.
Isaiah 26:3 “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”
In Psalm 92:1-4 David writes “It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre.For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.” Unlike most of us, this praise was not based on the condition of the world around him. We say thank you when someone does something for us or when the circumstances are favorable to us. However, David shows us a thankfulness that is not a reaction but should be the framework of our lives.
David starts with “it is good to give thanks to the Lord.” In the Hebrew language, this word good does not just mean morally right, but it means beneficial, beautiful, pleasant, and life-giving. Giving thanks should shift our thoughts from what we do not have to the absolute abundance of who God is. This deep felt gratitude should frame our lives to the point that it permeates every attitude and action of our day.
How can we maintain and have this attitude of thanksgiving? David proclaimed God’s steadfast love. That alone should cause our minds and hearts to rejoice. When we wake up before the challenges and turmoil of the day begin, we must remind ourselves that God chose us, He sees us, and He loves us so much that He will always be faithful to us.
As David proceeds through this Psalm, he continues to focus on the greatness of God. He notes that those who are brutish, which means stupid, have no more concern or gratitude than the ox in the field. They are void of understanding and steeped in pride for what they have accomplished. They do not recognize that all good things come from God. He notes in verse 7 that the wicked sprout like grass and the evildoers flourish, but they are doomed for destruction forever. Grass pops up and quickly dies from the heat and lack of rain. It reacts instantly to its environment. When we are unthankful, we tend to react instantly to our environment. We are overcome with anxiety because of our circumstances. But when we cultivate a deep habit of praising God for His unsearchable works, our roots go deep. Instead of withering like grass, we are like huge oak trees that stay green even in dry spells because our roots are deep. Our source for sustenance and strength is hidden in Him.
David closes this psalm the same way he started it, with praise and exaltation of his God! We, too, can face life with great hope, joy, and thanksgiving when we look back on the day that may have been filled with frustrations, setbacks, and exhaustion. We end our day declaring His faithfulness. Instead of focusing on what went wrong, we focus on the times we felt His presence. Because our minds are stayed on Him, we trust and rest in the one who holds the universe in His hands. We understand that we do not need to know all the reasons for what happened in the day; we just need to trust the one who does.
Psalm 92:5-8 “How great are your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep! The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this: that though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever; but you, O LORD, are on high forever.”
I hope you will take the time each morning to declare God’s goodness and praise Him for His love shown to you. Take time to think on His blessings. Then, in the evening, see if you can name the moments of His faithfulness that you did not recognize at the time.
It is a good and necessary thing to give thanks to God. Keep your mind stayed on Him and He will give you perfect peace. When Satan tries to squelch these thoughts with thoughts of disappointment, fear, or anger, reel in your thoughts to what is true about God. When you practice this every day, soon you will have the heart of David in this psalm. Maybe this is why God refers to David as a man after His own heart.
