Always Remember to Give Thanks

This powerful message from Psalm 77 confronts us with a question many of us hesitate to ask: What do we do when giving thanks feels impossible? We're invited into the raw, honest struggle of Asaph, the worship leader who found himself in a season where prayers seemed unanswered, worship felt empty, and questions about God's faithfulness haunted his nights. The beauty of this psalm lies not in a quick resolution, but in a profound shift of perspective. Asaph doesn't wait for his circumstances to improve before choosing gratitude; instead, he disciplines himself to remember God's deeds, reflect on creation's wonder, and meditate on God's unchanging holiness. The stunning revelation here is that by the psalm's end, nothing in Asaph's situation has changed—yet everything has changed because he's redirected his focus from his problems to God's character. This message challenges us to practice thanksgiving not as a response to favorable circumstances, but as an act of trust in who God is regardless of what we're facing. Like the Ontario artists who transform river debris into beautiful sculptures, God specializes in taking the junk of our lives and creating something marvelous. We're reminded that 'all things' truly means all things—the good and the bad, the joyful and the heartbreaking—and that thanksgiving in difficult seasons is ultimately an expression of faith that God is still sovereign, still good, and still working for our benefit and His glory.