Do you ever wake up with feelings of dread? 

Responsibilities, work, conflicts, financial pressures, broken relationships, sadness about the state of the world.

Does life feel like a repetitive treadmill sometimes? Do you ever sense your attitudes in private and public are becoming more jaded?

Do you feel less energy to be kind? Do you find it easy to talk about what is going wrong? Do you find yourself complaining?

Do you find yourself detaching? Do you feel like giving up sometimes?

Of course. We all do. So what can we do to adjust our mindset? 

Did you know that gratitude and anxiety cannot exist in your brain at the same time?         

God has formed us this way! 

So how do we navigate our way out of negativity?

Psalm 118 gives us a roadmap of gratitude. This Psalm begins and ends with this same sentence:

 “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good: 

   For his steadfast love endures forever.”

If we were to consider Psalm 118 a sandwich thanksgiving would be the bread of this prayer. The filling of the sandwich would be:

• Confession of God’s love for us (Verses 2-4)
• A prayer for deliverance in his situation (v. 5-7)
• Conviction that salvation does not come from humans and politicians (v. 8-9)
• A prayer for protection in war and conflicts (v. 10-18)
• A prayer confessing that God is our savior and sustainer (v. 19-25)
• A confession of the coming Messiah (v. 26-27)
• Personal thanksgiving to God (v. 28)

And then of course the second piece of bread:

   “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good: 

   For his steadfast love endures forever.”

In other words all of the major parts of his life are sandwiched between thanksgiving and an attitude of gratitude. This changes his perspective and allows him to see that God is present in our lives and is guiding our lives. 

The primary thing we must do is pray and give thanks. 

When we do this the Holy Spirit intervenes in our attitudes and emotions and pours the love of God into our hearts. 

Homework:

Take 15 minutes to pray through Psalm 118 for your own life. God loves you and wants to meet with you! I made it easy for you......here it is in its entirety.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Harvey

PSALM 118

1 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

    for his steadfast love endures forever!

2 Let Israel say,

    “His steadfast love endures forever.”

3 Let the house of Aaron say,

    “His steadfast love endures forever.”

4 Let those who fear the Lord say,

    “His steadfast love endures forever.”

5 Out of my distress I called on the Lord;

    the Lord answered me and set me free.

6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.

    What can man do to me?

7 The Lord is on my side as my helper;

    I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord

    than to trust in man.

9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord

    than to trust in princes.

10 All nations surrounded me;

    in the name of the Lord I cut them off!

11 They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;

    in the name of the Lord I cut them off!

12 They surrounded me like bees;

    they went out like a fire among thorns;

    in the name of the Lord I cut them off!

13 I was pushed hard, so that I was falling,

    but the Lord helped me.

14 The Lord is my strength and my song;

    he has become my salvation.

15 Glad songs of salvation

    are in the tents of the righteous:

“The right hand of the Lord does valiantly,

16     the right hand of the Lord exalts,

    the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!”

17 I shall not die, but I shall live,

    and recount the deeds of the Lord.

18 The Lord has disciplined me severely,

    but he has not given me over to death.

19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,

    that I may enter through them

    and give thanks to the Lord.

20 This is the gate of the Lord;

    the righteous shall enter through it.

21 I thank you that you have answered me

    and have become my salvation.

22 The stone that the builders rejected

    has become the cornerstone.

23 This is the Lord's doing;

    it is marvelous in our eyes.

24 This is the day that the Lord has made;

    let us rejoice and be glad in it.

25 Save us, we pray, O Lord!

    O Lord, we pray, give us success!

26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

    We bless you from the house of the Lord.

27 The Lord is God,

    and he has made his light to shine upon us.

Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,

    up to the horns of the altar!

28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;

    you are my God; I will extol you.

29 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

    for his steadfast love endures forever!