I bow down toward your holy temple

and give thanks to your name

for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, 

for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.

On the day I called, 

you answered me; 

my strength of soul 

you increased.

Psalm 138:2-3 ESV

Implied here is his pattern of being thankful for who God is.

It's his habit.

That's quite a challenging thought, that my habit is being thankful for who God is. 

I don't think I like that idea, because it makes me smaller, smaller before God.

There's days when I just want God to fix things. To fix this broken thing, this hurt person, to fix my circumstances.

I want Him to do what I want.

But if my habit is being thankful for who He is, something shifts. 

And as the psalmist writes that on the "day I called" God did answer but in an unexpected way - his problem wasn't fixed, but his "strength of soul you increased".

I don't know exactly what that means, but I think I have an inkling what it's like not to have it.

Strength of soul allows us to persevere in our circumstances, to stay in the brokenness and hurt, and see God work in the unexpected. 

#psalms

#songsthatbreakprisonwalls

#dangerousprayers

#startwithathankfulheart

#strengthofsoul