Choosing the Posture of Praise

I wish I could say my heart is always overflowing with praise and thanksgiving, but it’s just not true. However, I am learning that gratitude is more than a feeling. It is a mindset we can cultivate and posture we can choose. 

Though I am not an expert, I would like to share a few things I am pondering from Psalm 40 that I hope will help you choose a grateful heart today.

Praise is for every day. Not just the good ones. 

Psalm 40 opens with David waiting on God to take him out of a destructive and dangerous situation. As David seeks God, we see that he begins to overflow with a song of praise. 

It is right in the middle of pain and hardship that God wants to transform our hearts. Like many things in life, we have to choose to look to God. We cannot wait for our circumstances to line up perfectly to honor Him. 

Praise is a gift from God. 

David describes his experience with God this way, “He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.” (Psalm 40:3a NASB) We know that David called out to God in difficult times and chose to wait patiently. In that time of waiting, God did a miracle inside of David – he planted a song of praise in his mouth. And God will do the same for you and me.

Often, it is not until we run out of places to run that we turn out eyes to heaven. But despite our shortcomings, God is always ready and willing to transform us. 

Praise not only blesses us, but it transforms other people too. 

Because God put a song in David’s heart, he could proclaim, “many will see and fear and will trust in the LORD.” (Psalm 40:3b) David knew that the people surrounding him needed encouragement. And that encouragement only had one source – God. 

When you and I choose thanksgiving, it shines God’s light. It helps those who are hopeless find hope. It brings joy into joyless situations. It points those who don’t know God to a God who is worthy of all praise. 

Praise and humility are directly connected.

The more I release my cares into God’s hands and choose to trust Him, the louder the song of praise will rise up in me. We can’t fully praise God unless we surrender to Him. In this context of worship, David says, “How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust, and has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.” (Psalm 40:4)

When we are struggling with gratitude, it is time for a heart check. Pride will always block praise. Humility will always increase it. 

Praise is an inexhaustible resource.

Again, listen to David’s words, “Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done, And Your thoughts toward us; there is none to compare with You. If you would declare and speak them, they would be too numerous to count.” (Psalm 40:5)

Praise is powerful. It is transformational. And it is unending. No matter how many gratitude lists you make, no matter how many songs you sing or how many things you thank God for – you will never exhaust the reasons to give thanks. 

There is no time like the present to cultivate a heart of thanksgiving and see how it transforms you, your perspective, and the people around you.