It is important for us to remember the things the Lord has done for us. James tells us that every good and perfect gift comes from God (James 1:17). It is amazing how simple it is for us to take this for granted. There are so many blessings that are in our life that there is quite a bit that we will allow to fade into the background. Once there, we might forget that God has indeed dealt bountifully with us on many occasions.

It is also important to remember the context of the Psalm that this verse is written in. Earlier the Psalmist points out that it seems as if God has forsaken Him. God has allowed His enemies to be triumphant, at least for now. Even in the midst of such turmoil he still is going to praise the Lord. Christians may share in the Psalmist view that the Lord has forsaken them. They don’t understand how God could let them go through all this pain and suffering. Such questions are allowed by God. However, it is important to keep in mind how much good he has done for us up to this point, just as the Psalmist does.

The Psalmist plans to praise God. He is not just going to count His blessings and focus on the positive. He is also going bring it before God and thank Him for all that He has done. This is important for two reasons. First of all, God is worthy of our thanksgiving. He has done so much for us that even in the worst of circumstances He still has blessed us in so many ways. The second reason is that it helps us grow in faith. As we see what He has done for us already, it helps us to keep in perspective the current suffering. We also remember God’s love for us, and that He will indeed help us in our present struggle.