God does not give us everything we ask of Him. Thanks be to God!  We think we know what is best, but often times ask for things that are wrong-headed, selfish, or even hurtful. Other times we ask for something, but our gracious God has something better in store for us!

Sometimes our lives and circumstances work us over pretty good. We feel like everyone and everything is ganging up on us. Our first instinct is to lash out and hit back with a vengeance. But will that accomplish God’s purpose in our lives?

I was wondering these things when I read Psalm 66, which is the assigned Psalm for this coming Sunday.  Here are a few verses from that Psalm.

Psalm 66:16–20 ¹⁶ Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. ¹⁷ I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. ¹⁸ If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; ¹⁹ but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer. ²⁰ Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!

How much better would our lives be if we focused on the good God has done for us and praised Him for that?  As I was pondering that question, I recalled a song by Ray Boltz entitled “I Will Praise the Lord.” He describes Paul and Silas in a prison cell after being beaten, but this is the refrain that repeats over and over again.

But I will praise the Lord
I will praise the Lord
No matter what tomorrow brings
What it has in store
I will praise the Lord

God listens and hears your prayers. He does not reject you or withhold His love from you. In fact, His love is seen in the person of Jesus Christ, who loved us and gave Himself for us all. Reason, indeed, for His praise to be on our lips.