I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High. 

My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before you. For you have upheld my right and my cause, sitting enthroned as the righteous judge. You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; you have blotted out their name for ever and ever. Endless ruin has overtaken my enemies, you have uprooted their cities; even the memory of them has perished. 

The Lord reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment. He rules the world in righteousness and judges the peoples with equity. The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

I find this to be such an motivating Psalm because it not only tells us to rejoice in the Lord, but it gives us plenty of reasons why:

1. He does wonderful deeds,
2. He causes the enemies of his people to stumble and fall,
3. He judges justly,
4. He upholds the rights and cause of his people, 
5. He takes vengeance against the enemies of his people,  
6. He rebukes nations, 
7. He destroys the wicked,
8. His enemies have no recorded place in his book of life — they are blotted out,
9. Endless ruin haunts his enemies — destroys their cities and they are forgotten,
10. The Lord reigns forever, 
11. He rules in righteousness, 
12. He judges with equity,
13. He is a refuge for the oppressed,
14. He is a stronghold in troubling times, and 
15. He never forsakes those who seek him.

That is quite a list to be thankful for. God is worthy of rejoicing in any and every situation. 

The Psalmist praises God with his whole heart. This is critical to connecting with God. Nothing can be held back. He is a jealous God. He wants all of us. No personal pet sins.

Repent of these, cast them aside, and follow him.

I also find it interesting that this psalm is written to the tune of: “The Death of a Son”, as noted in the preamble. This means it is highly possible that it was crafted during a time of intense grief. Having had some challenging grieving moments in my life, I have found the best way through them is to be thankful, to list my blessings, and to worship God, in full trust and belief that he will come through in the end.

Lord, I lift you up. You are mighty and worthy of my praise. You continue to blow my mind with the amazing and wonderful plans you have for me. I have no business being involved in the incredible business of your eternal work. Yet, you invite me in. You want to spend time with me. You love me just as I am. And you see my potential in partnership with you. Thank you! I praise your name.