Thankful? For What? – Attention Grabber

Key Bible Verse: O Lord my God, I cried out to you for help, and you restored my health.  – Psalm 30:2

Bonus Reading: Psalm 30:1-12

Health issues are often discussed in Scripture. David’s words [in today’s Key Bible Verse] are an example. We don’t have details of his ailments, but they were serious enough for him to say, “You brought me up from the grave, O Lord. You kept me from falling into the pit of death” (Psalm 30:3).

Many a man has been brought to his spiritual senses when his health failed. The healing of his body has led to a cleansing of his soul, and he has lived to thank God for illness. Some men only look up when they’ve been put on their backs!

But a little thought shows that if we thank God for healing, we should praise him for health. Health is perpetual healing. Given the intricacies of our bodies, the prevalence of viruses, and the incidence of accidents, it’s quite remarkable that we are ever well.

Yet most of us are. We live our lives assuming that the robust health we enjoy will continue unabated. In fact, we assume that it’s a right, not a privilege. The problem is that the more we enjoy good health, the less we depend on the Lord for it; the less we suffer, the less we turn to the Lord for help. David’s lost health, shattered him. But once it was restored, it led him to worship and thanksgiving.

—Stuart Briscoe in Devotions for Men

My Response: God got my attention when …

Adapted from The One Year Book of Devotions for Men (Tyndale, 2000)

Prayer for the Week: Give me a fresh awareness, Lord, of those gifts I’ve taken for granted.