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 forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Psalm 103:1-5
Helen Keller lived a life filled with limits because she was both blind and deaf. The story of her overcoming those limits has inspired millions of people. Often the story is told without much, if any, focus on her faith. But it was that faith that kept Helen Keller from being bound by sorrow, grief, and anger. Late in her life she wrote to a pastor, “It fills my heart with joy to know that God loves me so much that he wishes me to live always, and that he gives me everything that makes me happy—loving friends, a precious little sister, sweet flowers, and the warm sunshine, and best of all, a mind that can think and enjoy and a heart that can love and sympathize.”
There will never be a day in this life when everything is perfect. We live in a fallen and broken world and there are constant reminders of the impact of the Fall on our own lives and on our society. If our hope of joy is restricted to when there are no problems, we will never know joy. If our words of praise to God are limited to easy days, they will never flow. Every single day we are loaded down with benefits that are far beyond what we deserve. There are always things for which we can be grateful. There are always blessings we can count. There are always praises we can offer. The difference between people who are joyfully praising God and those who are bitterly complaining is not their circumstances but their focus. God is always good, and we should never forget His many blessings.
