10,000 Reasons is the title of a song by Matt Redman. And I love it because in a world full of 10 million excuses, it’s good to be reminded that we have more than 10,000 reasons to praise and thank God.
The Psalmist said:
Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (Psalm 103:1-5)
Other translations say, “Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise His holy name… May I never forget the good things He does for me” (NLT). “Oh my soul, bless God. From head to toe, I’ll bless His holy name” (MSG). “Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and all that is [deepest] within me…” (AMPC).
Our world is not perfect. But our God is.
Evil exists. And sadly, we have become a people numb to the round-the-clock news of war, murders, assaults, accidents, and much more. But Satan is a defeated enemy no matter what is going on.
Jesus said, “I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven!” (A good reason to praise God!) “Now behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over ALL the power of the enemy (another good reason!), and nothing shall by any means hurt you (a third good reason!). Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:18-20). THE BEST reason of all!
Let’s be realistic… You don’t have to look long to find evil, fear, disappointment, or disillusionment. But can your heart find 10,000 reasons to worship God and lift your head? I say a hearty YES! In fact, in this post alone, I’ve barely scratched the surface…
● He is my light and salvation.
● He is the hope of my heart.
● He leads me in paths of righteousness.
● His love is unending.
● His mercy endures forever.
● He is preparing a place for me.
● He hears every whisper of my soul and answers me when I call upon Him.
● He has defeated death, hell, and the grave —for us all!
Until Jesus returns, evil will exist and abound. But where is our focus?
One of my favorite verses in scripture is found in Colossians 3, which says, “So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:1-4). No doubt we will be praising and thanking God on the day Jesus returns! But what about now? Depending on where your focus is, it’s not hard to praise Him even now.
When we set our attention on heavenly realities versus earthly distractions, it’s easy to give thanks.
But if we get those backwards — focusing more on temporary, earthly things that pull our attention elsewhere, life can be hard. And our thanks minimal (if any).
So I know my focus will be upward… because (no matter what may come or what lies before me) I have more than 10,000 reasons to worship God and praise His holy name!
I hope you do too!
