PASTOR’S CORNER: Giving thanks despite trials

When we’re going through difficulties it may be challenging to find reasons to be grateful and to praise God. However, Psalm 100 gives us reasons to rejoice and give God praise despite our trials. The psalmist says, “Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are his; WE are his people, the sheep of his pasture.”

Whenever we are in any trial, read Psalm 100:5. Too many of us have lost focus and it is this that has been detrimental to our spiritual vision. It has blocked our being able to see straight and any time you lose sight of your objective, you are sure to leave the right path and go astray. We see it all the time. Whenever somebody goes astray it is because they have lost sight of something in front of them.

The person who has an affair loses sight of the vows that they made; they lose sight of the wonderful husband or wife that they have at home. With wandering eyes the devil entices them to look abroad and they see the forbidden fruit. It looks good, they bite and then their eyes come open. It’s not until they lose everything and are stripped naked that they wake up to the fact that they lost focus on the best thing that they had. Trials have a tendency to cause us to lose sight, and that makes it hard to give thanks when life’s trials come our way.

Somebody this morning has a crowded mind. Due to no fault of your own, some trial has invaded your mind and though you are reading this, your trials are hindering your spiritual insight, and it’s hindering your worship and your praise. I say that this morning because we all are living life. Christians are too! Being Christian doesn’t exempt us from trials despite those who say every day should be like Sunday down here; and that Christ’s death on the cross did away with all of our money problems, health problems, devil problems, marriage problems, neighbor problems, job problems, children problem and people problems.

Now we all know that’s a lie because one or all the above is what keeps us on our knees! It’s what got some of us distracted this morning and blinded by what we are going through. We can’t focus on the reason why we go to church. Everybody, ask yourselves this question, “Why do I go to church? And why did we go to church Sunday morning?” Were we there because we were thankful, to God? Did we go to worship? Were we there because we wanted to let God know how much we appreciated what he has brought us through, how he kept us intact in spite of it? Did we want him to know just how grateful we are so we with our fellow church members could join together in corporate praise and worship to God?

If that is the case this morning, then we ought to be thankful despite our trials! In fact, James says in the book of James 1:2, to “count it all joy” when we fall into various trials because God is at work in it! Friends, trials make us strong and draw us closer to God. We see God differently when we are in the midst of trials. Just like a little child, when they prick or burn their finger, they run to their parent. That’s what we do when we are pricked by trials, we run or draw close to God.

We as Christians should know this psalm 100 well. We quote it all the time. It is a call from the psalmist to “make a joyful noise to the Lord, all you lands.” We all know what noise is. It is a sound especially one that is loud but there are some that say “you are not supposed to make noise in church. But folk that believe that you are not supposed to make noise in church must not have ever read this psalm. Community, folk makes noise at the ball games, don’t they? Some Christians do too! Let somebody score a touchdown or hit a home run or dunk a basketball! Check out the Cameron crazies at a Duke University home basketball game. Noise.

But, when we come to church, are we supposed to be quiet? Some people say it doesn’t take all of that. Jesus scored the greatest victory ever scored on the cross of Calvary and if I’m going to get hoarse from hollering and cheering it will be in making a joyful NOISE unto the Lord.

Community, God made us, we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. It is then that he says, “Enter into his gate with thanksgiving.” That’s it right there community. We are to come into his presence with singing, his sanctuary with thanksgiving. We as his people are to make a joyful noise everybody and serve the Lord cheerfully with gladness and come before his presence with singing. We are to bless his name.

And why should we bless his name? He said, “Because the Lord is good.” Hallelujah! Despite trials, the Lord is good. Despite depression, the Lord is good. Dspite the shape the world is in, the Lord is good. Despite our aches and pains this morning, the Lord is good.

Community, give thanks despite your trials.