Psalm 64:9, 10 
All people will fear; 
they will proclaim the works of God
and ponder what he has done. 
The righteous will rejoice in the LORD
and take refuge in him;
all the upright in heart will glory in him! 
(NIV)

Everyone sees it. God’s
work is the talk of the town.
Be glad, good people! Fly to GOD!
Good-hearted people, make praise your habit.
(The Message)

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Praise is a life-giving habit. 

Praise prevents us from becoming Negative Neds and Nellys. It’s really hard to be grumpy and praise God at the same time. I read a book by John Bisagno many years ago that helped me understand the difference between praise and thanksgiving. He said, “We praise God for who he is. We thank him for what he does.” 

When we recognize God for who he is and remind ourselves of his attributes, it reshapes how we perceive everything. 

This psalm is good evidence of this truth. Notice the first verse. King David says, “Hear me, my God, as I voice my complaint; protect my life from the threat of the enemy.”

King David was having a bad day. He had lots of bad days, didn’t he? He probably had as many bad days as he did great days. Killing a lion, a bear, and a Big Boy? Great days. Living under the threat of conspiracy and murder? Not great days. 

As young Simba sang in The Lion King, “I just can’t wait to be king!” Being the king is a pretty good gig. The problem with being the king is there are a whole lot of other folks who think they could be a better king. In fact, if they can take you out and install themselves, that will make everything better for everybody. 

King David started his song in a negative key. He finished it in triumph. This is a good model. 

What’s your problem today? 

Tell God honestly what’s going on and how you feel about it. Ask him for the help only he can provide. Call to memory all the good things he has done for you in the past. Trust him because his heart toward you has not changed. Seek him because he is living and active and working for your highest good. 

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I will finish my song of praise on the highest of notes because just as God has been good to me, I trust that he will continue being good to me. 

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Our Father, I thank you that you can take the difficult experiences of our lives and transform them for our good. You never waste pain or suffering. You give us proper perspective. You redeem all you allow. You build us up so that we may join you in building up others. Thank you for showing us David’s complaints and his praise. Remind us to always turn our complaints into prayers. Empower us to live in earnest expectation of our next opportunity to praise you for who you are and thank you for what you do. Amen.