Joel M Bradshaw

1Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!
2Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!
3Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!
4Seek the LORD and his strength;
seek his presence continually!
5Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,
6O offspring of Abraham, his servant,
children of Jacob, his chosen ones!–Psalm 105

This psalm was written to the descendants of Abraham and Jacob. The entire psalm consisted of a great history lesson about God’s faithfulness. Verse 6 tells us who was the intended audience, but we can have this perspective too.

I’ve gone to events before where I didn’t know what to do. Nobody gave me any directions and I couldn’t find my contact person. So I looked for what others were doing and joined in. I set up folding chairs. Offered to carry boxes. Picked up loose trash. Greeted people. It was something to do.

You might get invited to a cookout and the host told you ahead of time not to bring anything but yourself and an empty stomach. Well, you could still stop at a gas station for a couple bags of ice. People usually don’t just want to wander around. They want a mission. They want something do do. But what about when you don’t know what to do?

Verses 1-5 always apply. They always exist in your pocket ready to pull out and use.

1. GIVE THANKS TO GOD, CALLING ON HIS NAME. Who doesn’t like to hear thank you? You always have something for which to thank God. Always. You are never in a position where you don’t know what to pray. Call on God and thank him. Be known as a thanker.
2. SING PRAISE TO HIM AND OF HIM. Tell God you appreciate all he has done and is doing in your life. Remind others that God is faithful. He is both God and good. Others may not need to know how God has blessed you, but they do need the reminder that God cares.
3. LIVE FOR THE GLORY OF GOD’S NAME AND NOT YOURS. Wow, could you imagine if you actually did this? What would bring God glory? Focus on that. We are all usually so focused on our own names and stories and legacies. Find joy and purpose in seeking out God and wanting him to be made weightier.
4. DEPENDING UPON GOD AND HIS STRENGTH. Our culture tells us to depend upon ourselves and to seek the answer within us. How about you look not only outward, but upward? I journey with people every week in counseling. Biblical counseling is different because we intentionally go to the Bible to seek help from the very God who knows us better than we know ourselves. Our help is not within us, but with God. Depend upon him.
5. REMEMBER. Your current story weighs down your depression? Start remembering God’s faithfulness and change your story to that. You can’t sleep at night due to your anxiety? Start by remembering God’s faithfulness. It’s better than remembering all your failures and mistakes. Remember God.

These are five things you can and should always do. Have them at the ready. Make them your daily mission and story.–JMB