Attending to Thanksgiving
Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD. Psalm 107:43
It’s the day before Thanksgiving as I write this. One of the hardest things for me to do with the holidays since I have been blogging is to come up with something new to say about them. The attitude of gratitude is everywhere we turn right now. All of the papers, radio stations I listen to, and even Facebook are full of thankfulness. What more can there possibly be to say?
Well, this morning I saw something I rarely see. In our local newspaper one of the regular columnists started his column by pointing his readers to Psalm 107. It is rare for our newspaper to point anyone to scripture. Though it is less surprising because it is Thanksgiving it is still encouraging to see someone on the staff have the desire and the courage to do it on the first page of the local section!
In general Psalm 107 is a call to all to give thanks to God. This is a great start as I fear we are rapidly becoming a country who wants to thank anyone- government, parents, or school teachers – before we thank God. This Psalm calls on the redeemed of the Lord to say that His steadfast loves endures forever. Then he gives examples of how God has demonstrated that love.
In verses 3-5, he describes a time when the people of God were redeemed from trouble. They were lost, hungry, and thirsty. In verse 6 they cried out to the Lord and He delivered them from their distress. Psalm 107:7 says, “He led them by a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in.” Then the Psalmist makes a suggestion in verse 8, “Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!”
They were in trouble and distress and God rescued them. Let them thank the Lord.
The next verses are surprising when we look closely. Verses 9 – 10 talk about people who are longing for their hungry and thirsty souls to be filled. These people are prisoners in darkness, in the shadow of death, in affliction and irons. I assume these are prisoners sentenced to die. The next verse tells us why, Psalm 107:11, “for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High.” Willful sin is rebellion against God. Verse 12 tells us that these peoples’ hearts were bowed low with hard labor. They, too, cried out to the Lord and He delivered them from their distress.
These people were in prison because they had broken God’s law and rebelled against Him. When they turned from that and cried out to Him to deliver them – He did! God’s discipline is for our good. He allows the consequences of sin to draw us back to Him. What a great God. Indeed, we should heed the advice of the Psalmist in verse 15, “Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For He shatters the doors of bronze and cuts in two the bars of iron.”
Verses 17 – 19 point out that sometimes our sin can bring on afflictions – sickness. These verses speak of people so sick they couldn’t eat and were close to death. What did they do? Psalm 107:19, “Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress.” Again, their own folly puts them there and He listens when they cry out to Him. “He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.” Psalm 107:20
Again, the Psalmist suggests, “Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!” But, he also suggests that their thanksgiving be more than just any words, He wants words from the heart. Verse 22: “And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!” The Lord wants us to speak of His goodness, to risk speaking up, stepping out in faith to point others to Him. Service and offerings (financial and otherwise) are nice – we need to offer them as well, but God is honored and glorified in our verbal praises in words and song.
In verses 23 – 32 the people are in trouble at sea, they call to the Lord and He rescues them. He stills the storm for them and the Psalmist issues the same suggestion. Psalm 107:31-32 “Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.”
In the last verses the Psalmist gives us examples of times when the Lord relieved the distress of people who are helpless and at His mercy to make a parched land into pools of water or rivers into thirsty ground, as He wills. He may have them sowing and reaping or He may see a people brought low through oppression, evil and sorrow. He will punish the princes and He will “raise up the needy out of affliction and make their families like flocks.”
“The upright see it and are glad, and all wickedness shuts its mouth.” Psalm 107:42 In His steadfast love for His people God shows us mercy and grace. The Psalmist gives the perfect admonition in the last verse of the Psalm: “Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD.”
Thanks to the columnist in today’s paper I have attended to the thanksgiving that should flow from lips every day of the year. How about you? How are you attending to thanksgiving this year?