Psalm 21: ¹ In your strength the king (King David, the writer) rejoices, O Lord, and in your help how greatly he exults! ² You have given him his heart’s desire, and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah ³ For you meet him with rich blessings; you set a crown of fine gold on his head. ⁴ He asked you for life; you gave it to him— length of days forever and ever. ⁵ His glory is great through your help; splendor and majesty you bestow on him. ⁶ You bestow on him blessings forever; you make him glad with the joy of your presence. ⁷ For the king trusts in the Lord, and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved. 

David lists a series of blessings the Lord has given to him, “You bestow on (David) blessings forever…”. It is good and right to give thanks to God for the good things we receive. Yet what impresses me even more about David is his ability to bless the Lord even when things go horribly wrong – such as when his predecessor as king of Israel tries to have him killed, or his newborn son dies, or when his own adult son tries to usurp his throne by force.

It’s been a tough season for me lately, more than at almost any time I can remember. There are times when it’s not easy to give thanks to God. My prayers have mostly been prayers of lament. How long, O Lord? How long will you hide your face from me and my family? I’m guessing many of you know what I’m talking about.

So this morning I’m asking the Lord to give me a heart more like David’s – a heart of praise even in the midst of a storm, which is literally happening outside my window as I write this blog post. Lord let it be so. Amen.