Blessed be Your name in the land that is plentiful,
Where the streams of abundance flow, blessed be Your name
Blessed be Your name when I’m found in the desert place,
Though I walk through the wilderness, blessed be Your name
Every blessing you pour out I’ll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in Lord, still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be Your glorious name
Blessed be Your name when the sun’s shining down on me,
When the world’s all as it should be, blessed be Your name.
Blessed be Your name on the road marked with suffering,
Though there’s pain in the offering, blessed be Your name.
Every blessing you pour out I’ll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in Lord, still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be Your glorious name
I recently found myself humming the chorus of this song, Blessed Be Your Name, by Matt Redman. The song came to mind as I was just reflecting on the importance of the act of gratitude. Since I first heard this song, it has always been an anthem of what it means to give gratitude and praise to God in both the good times and the challenging times. It means to “Give thanks in all circumstances.”
I do think it’s important to give thanks to God in all situations. When things are going well or as they “should” be, and we are experience the blessings of life – turn that praise towards God. When there’s hardship and darkness, we can still turn our praise to God. God’s love remains. God doesn’t give up on us. God is always with us.
During 2020, when many were still limiting their public interactions, I found that I had many more conversations with others about the simple things of life – more talks of hummingbirds and sunrises, a realization of what others were doing to make a difference in a difficult time in our world, which truly turned into more discussions of gratitude. 2020 caused us to remember all we did have, and even though all these moments were not easy, there was still an attitude of thankfulness and a response of praise. I think that as we give thanks to God in all circumstances, it helps to take a moment to pause, and to look around at the simpler things in our life. We can find ways to praise God and give thanks in all circumstances!
– Amy Givens, Director of Youth Ministry
