An authentic worshipper still sings songs in the night. "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, the olive crop fails, and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God, my Savior" (Habakkuk 3:17-18). And of course we see Paul and Silas in prison in Acts 16...and about midnight they were praying and singing hymns to God. Jonathan Edwards said there were two kinds of gratitude, natural and gracious. Natural gratitude has to do with being grateful for good gifts. But, gracious gratitude is being thankful for who God is, not just for what He does. Chuck Colson has said that gracious gratitude is "relational", not "conditional".
Anybody can be thankful for blessings. But a true worshipper has learned to give thanks in everything. I Thessalonians 5:16-17 says, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." Praise which is dependent upon blessings can easily turn into grumbling and complaining when the blessing is gone. This reveals that we are measuring what is good by the world's temporal standard rather than by an eternal one. In suffering we learn endurance (I Peter 2:20) and if we endure, we will also reign with Him (2 Tim. 2:12). According to Philippians 3 we can rejoice in our sufferings by realizing that through sufferings our identification and fellowship with Christ will increase, and we will know Him and His love for us better.
God is pleased with our natural gratitude in worship springing up in response to His blessings. But, oh when He hears songs in the night - rejoicing in the midst of suffering, He is blessed beyond our imagination or understanding. mjm
