Psalm 147:1

Psalm 147:1 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Praise the Lord!  How good it is to sing praises to our God!

There are several challenges going around Facebook these days.  These things take off like wildfire.  For the most part, I enjoy seeing them, though I'm usually not one to get involved in chain emails or mail or posts or challenges.

The Ice Bucket challenge might be the most famous one, but the one I'm getting some enjoyment out of reading right now is the gratitude challenge.  This is where someone has to post 3 or 4 things that that are grateful for each day.

It's a habit I've taken on myself privately in my prayer life.  While I've always known and believed the importance of it, I've been even more convinced by Lutheran Theological Seminary President David Lose in some of his recent blogs.  He's cited studies that show that it isn't happy people who are grateful.  It is grateful people who are happy.

And these days, when the headlines every day seem so dire, I think it is an especially important challenge to take up.  When I'm inundated with sad and bad news every day, sitting down and taking some time to be grateful is a freeing experience.

And once I've established what I'm grateful for, praises to God seem to flow more easily from my lips.

Not perhaps that it should be that way.  I'm sure God wishes that praise for creation, for God's grace, for love, would come naturally from our lips all the time.

But the truth of the matter is, we live in a world where we are pulled away from praising God constantly.  And a reminder of all the ways in which God deserves our praise might be a journey worth taking for our own spiritual and mental health.

The Psalmist certainly new how good it felt! 

God of grace and love, praise your name forever!  I am grateful for your love!  Help me to remember that gratitude always!  Amen.