Christ is the ultimate example of a thankful heart amid suffering.  Psalm 69 is Messianic in nature and speaks from the personal perspective of our Lord on the cross of Calvary.  He cried out, “Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck.  I sink…I am weary.” As he took on the sin of those who place their faith in him as Lord, he confessed, “…I have borne reproach…dishonor has covered my face.”  He felt utterly alone, “I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my mother’s sons.”  The Psalm shares the agony our Lord experienced as he died.  And yet, Christ would choose to focus on the greatness and goodness of God, “I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving” (Psalm 69:30). 

Practicing thanksgiving, no matter the circumstances is challenging, but there is a reward for those who trust the Lord.  We live in a dark world where sin and suffering abound.  We sometimes cry out to God for his salvation.  Sometimes, we feel overwhelmed and even alone.  We can take heart knowing our Lord has experienced these things and knows what we’re going through.  He loves us, and as we praise his name and seek to magnify him with thanksgiving, he fills us with the assurance of his presence and peace.

Let’s make this our prayer—to praise the name of God with a song and magnify him with thanksgiving.