Psalm 52:9 - I will thank you forever, because you have done it. I will wait for your name, for it is good, in the presence of the godly.
After the Hebrews had been saved by God from slavery in Egypt, they began to complain about how hard life had become. Some even wished they could go back to Egypt where at least they knew what to expect with regard to food and lodging. Even though God had done something so incredibly good, the people still became worried and full of complaints. The gratitude that the Hebrews felt towards God quickly faded, and if we are honest, we do the same thing more frequently than we would like to admit. In this Psalm, David is proclaiming the power and might of God over those who do wickedness. He knows who his God is, and he knows that God will uphold the righteous and blot out the wicked.
Where the Hebrews saw uncertainty in what they would experience after slavery, David saw certainty in God’s faithfulness to do what is good. This certainty created gratitude within him and he couldn’t help but declare it through this psalm. Whatever may come against David in the future, he believed that what God had done before in faithfulness, he would do again.
In your relationship with the Lord, how much does gratitude come into the picture? Would you say that you have a tendency to be more like the Hebrews, worrying about what may come and complaining when things seem to have gone wrong? Honestly, you may feel that way because of a lack of gratitude. Thankfulness requires us to look outside of ourselves and whatever is going on in order that we can focus on something good. Gratitude reorients the heart away from worry and complaint and puts it in a position of trust and confidence.
But gratitude isn’t all that David has in this verse. He also writes that he will wait for God’s good name in the presence of the godly. Another important attitude that we must have in this life is patience. Are we willing to wait on the Lord? The only reason that we are willing to be patient for anything is because we have faith that it will be a good worth waiting for. If we wait for medical test results, we will be more patient if we believe that the results will help us. If we are thinking negatively about the results, we most likely will be impatient and quick to worry.
Gratitude reminds us of the goodness of God, whereas patience comes from belief in the faithfulness of God. Both are incredibly important, especially when thinking about the days ahead. There are so many evils that can come upon us, and there are many hardships that we experience. This is why we need to be reminded of these things, and we are reminded of them more when we are in the presence of other godly men and women who can help us to see God’s goodness and faithfulness.
What kind of attitude do you feel welling up inside of you today? Choose gratitude to God. If there are concerns you have for this day or the days ahead, be patient and wait on him. God has done good for you, and he will continue to do good because it is impossible for him to do otherwise. Be grateful and patient, Christian. The Lord is with you.
