Steadfast: Hashem is With Us Everyday

by Chana Krasny (Excerpts) 

The first thing we do when we wake up in the morning, even before we get out of bed, is to say “modeh ani lefonecho,” I give thanks before You, “melech chai vukayom” King, living and eternal “shehechezarto bi nishmasi buchemla” for You have returned within me, my soul, with compassion, “rabah emunasecha” abundant is Your faithfulness.

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So we have to realize two things, one, that we should be thankful. Our koach to life, our ability to live is absolutely connected to our ability to give thanks to Hashem. We have to utilise this understanding.

A living person is a thankful person. And who are we thanking? We have to have a recognition of who that entity is Who is responsible for our well-being, “melech chai vukayom,” The King of life, Who gives us life, Who is in control of our life and our circumstance and Who is capable of ruling us, is Hashem.

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And then we have to acquire an acceptance and an recognition, a public verbal recognition. We start with ourselves and then for others. We say the words, “You have returned within me my soul, with compassion.” We're recognising the kindliness of His action, “abundant is Your faithfulness.”

It's very few words, but every word in this possuk is important. The primary purpose of this bracha in Modeh Ani that we say when we wake up our eyes, is two:

One, to be muchazeik ourselves that we're still alive, be grateful for it.

We have to have a recognition of Who is responsible for our well-being

Two, recognize the omnipotence of the Ribono Shel Olam, that He is truly, The One in control of His circumstances. Admitting to ourselves what He does for us, having a gratitude therefore and praising His ability and capacity to do so. We praise His attribute “emunasecha” on an ongoing way, it happens every single day.

Unless a person who is in a coma, or has some serious, serious sickness (which we all daven that no one should have to experience), they wake up every single day, and that is a faithfulness, a steadfastness, a fastness that Hashem keeps with us every day and that's what we should be thinking.

If we would think that every day when we say this possuk when we get out of bed, we will come out with that energy that we need to start out, because when you recognize Hashem's kindliness, it will give you the fuel that you need, that energy that you are wanting to grow up and to wake up and to accomplish.

You have this hakoras hatov and that will stimulate that energy that all people are working. Most people do not need Prozak they just need to be thinking about what they're saying in their bachos...