I was riding my bike through the rolling hills of western Michigan on a 100-mile bike ride and was having an incredible time. The scenery was amazing, the ride exhilarating. But then it happened. I hit the wall.

Having enjoyed the ride so much, I neglected one crucial thing. I needed to eat and do it fairly consistently. As mile 80 approached, what was once very enjoyable turned into a fight to survive. All I could focus on was how much energy each turn of the pedal took, the growing discomfort in my legs, and how winded I felt. Before I knew it, I was only aware of my present discomfort as I lost sight of the beauty all around me. 

I wonder how many of us feel this way in life right now. The initial moments of this pandemic seemed like a quick race, one we might easily power through. As this whole thing has lingered, doesn’t it seem a little more like an endurance sporting event? And many of us hitting the wall. We’re gasping for air, plagued by fatigue, and only able to focus on the hurt. It’s hard to be grateful for everything we’ve been given when pain is all we see.

When things around us get hard, it can be easy to forget the things our blessings. Our attention is laser-focused on our hardship.

The opening verses of Psalm 103 state: 

Praise the Lord, my soul;

    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the Lord, my soul,

    and forget not all his benefits—

who forgives all your sins

    and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit

    and crowns you with love and compassion,

who satisfies your desires with good things

    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Praise – it’s a word that is rich with gratitude. When we praise, we respond full of gratitude to our God because of who He is and what he has done for us.

It’s almost as if the psalmist is giving himself a pep talk to remember what God has done for him personally. I invite you to do the same; to reflect on who God is and what he has done for you. Out of this, may gratitude and personal praise burst forth in your life.

It’s almost as if he is saying first and foremost remember this truth: God loves you and has forgiven your sin. This is foundational to a life filled with gratitude and praise because, apart from the forgiveness of sins, there is no relationship with God.  Every sin that we’ve ever committed, past, present, and future, was nailed to the Cross for all eternity. And here’s the best news: Jesus is alive and is returning to set all things right again. When he returns, we will see a world free from the pains of sin. We get a foretaste of that future reality today. Jesus has restored our relationship with God in the here and now. A truth that will never change for us who are in Christ Jesus. Out of this reality, gratitude and praise burst forth, even in those long seasons of struggle. Friends, let us not hit the wall during this season but instead, feast continually on the word of God. Let us echo the psalmist, “Praise the Lord Oh my soul, and forget not all his benefits — who forgives all your sins.”

Pastor Nathan