O GIVE THANKS
“O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.” Psalm 107:1
This Psalm joins with scores of other verses, throughout the Scripture, in a call for God’s people to give Him thanks. “O give thanks unto the LORD.” What could be more important for our character and more helpful for our disposition than developing an attitude of gratitude? On the other hand, something that is sure to bring discouragement and dissatisfaction to life is the absence of thanksgiving. Unthankful people are unhappy people. We have so many reasons to give thanks to the Lord.
The psalmist tells us to give thanks to God because “he is good.” It is so true. God is good and He has been so good to us. Goodness is part of His nature. Goodness is not just what God does, it is the essence of His being. He does good because He is good. The best thing that has ever happened to us is to know God.
Isn’t the devil such a liar? Satan wants us to think that God will take away our freedom and happiness, but God actually sets us free and fills us with joy. The devil promises us a good time, but he leads us in a path that is filled with heartache and ruin. He steals and kills and destroys. But God has brought life and purpose to our meaningless existence. He gave us forgiveness of sin and the promise of eternal life in glory, when we were completely undeserving. He heals the broken-hearted and befriends the lonely. He speaks peace to our world of confusion and gives acceptance to the outcast.
When we were without hope, Jesus filled our lives with direction. God gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, as a perfect sacrifice for our sins through His death on the cross. He provided for us His infallible Word that reveals His will for our lives. God is good, and we ought to thank Him for His goodness. He has been gracious and merciful, and “his mercy endureth for ever.” We will everlastingly be the recipients of God’s good mercy. Thank God for it.
When we think of the responsibility of giving thanks, we should remember the benefits of being grateful. It is good for us to give thanks. This is why we teach our children to express thanks to God and others. It is unwise and unhealthy to be a complainer or to be ungrateful. Take a look around you. Evidence abounds as to the goodness of God; and therefore, we have abundant reasons to give Him thanks.