God is teaching me these days about giving thanks in the “before.” What I mean by that is before the answer comes, the change happens and the provision is delivered. We love giving thanks “after” and there’s nothing wrong with that. But when we are able to praise Him before we see any evidence of His work, and simply because we know Him and trust His love for us, this is a different thing entirely. I think there’s also a humility in acknowledging we have no idea how He’s going to work in the situation, and if we are even going to like it. But He is never absent, and is always working in the difficulties to bring us closer to Him.

I see examples of this in Jesus giving thanks as He was dividing the fish and loaves to feed the five thousand. He didn’t see evidence in front of Him of how His Father was going to feed all these people, but He believed that’s what He was inviting Him into, and thanked Him in advance. Paul and Silas while in prison in Acts 16 sang praises before they were freed, and really without knowing they would be. They sang first, knowing that their God would take care of them in the best way. Later in Paul’s life, that looked like being in prison for a long time. Why didn’t God provide in the same way? Because He often changes things up, never settling for the same.

There are also times that our expectations are not met, and that’s why we believe He is not showing up. I want to be quick to ask for what He wants me to know in those situations, as it seems that usually He is moving me into change, asking me to put things down or changing my perspective through things that feel hard. These are times I have to come back to what I know and believe—Jesus loves me, He is working through all things for my ultimate good, and relationship with Him is more important than comfort. I can still give thanks before I see the resolution because I trust Him, not because I’m really liking the situation.

Thanking God in the “before” allows us to move into His perspective instead of being limited by ours. We know He will love us through, but can acknowledge it might not be the way we hoped or expected. He sees and loves this praise in the darkness before we see the light, as it is a demonstration of faith in Him and an acknowledgement of who He is.

Even if my fig trees do not blossom and my vines grow no grapes, if my olive crop fails and my fields produce no harvest, and even if all my sheep die and I’m left with no cattle in my barn, I still have Yahweh, and I will rejoice in him. Yes, I will dance with joy no matter what, for I have a Savior-God! Yahweh is the Lord of my strength; he makes my feet sure-footed as a deer bounding upon the high places. Habakkuk 3:17-19a