Giving Thanks To The Lord

By Hellen J. Kuleskey

O Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for His mercy and loving kindness endure forever! 2Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has delivered from the hand of the adversary. 3And gathered them out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the Red Sea in the south. 4Some wandered in the wilderness in a solitary desert track; they found no city for habitation. 5Hungry and thirsty they fainted; their life was near being extinguished. 6Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses. 7He led them forth by the straight and right way, that they might go to a city where they might establish their homes. 8Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord His goodness and loving-kindness, and His wonderful works to the children of men! 9For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with good. 10Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and in irons, 11Because they rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High. 12Therefore, He bowed down their heart with hard labor; they stumbled and fell down, and there was none to help. 13Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. 14He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke apart the bonds that held them.15Oh, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness, and His wonderful works to the children of men! 16For He has broken the gates of bronze, and cut the bars of iron apart. 17Some are fools, (made ill) because of the way of their transgressions, and afflicted because of their iniquities; 18They loathe every kind of food, and they draw near to the gates of death. 19Then they cry to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivers them out of their distresses. 20He sends forth His word and heals them and rescues them from the pit and destruction. 21Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord His goodness and loving-kindness, and His wonderful works to the children of men! 22And let them sacrifice the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and rehearse His deeds with shouts of joy and singing! (Psa. 107:1-22 Ampl.)

Psalm 107 is a Psalm of Thanksgiving. It is a model of our sacrifice of thanksgiving that thrills the heart of God, the Father.

When we talk about giving thanks to the Lord, the material blessings He has showered upon us and our good health first come to mind. But the Psalmist does not begin there. He focuses first of all on the Lord, Himself.

What are we to thank God for besides material and physical blessings?

The Psalmist begins by thanking God for Who He is—His attributes, His character. “O give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for His mercy and lovingkindness endure forever” (Vs. 1).
Then he thanks God for His wonderful works to the children of men.
What are those wonderful works to us, His children? The first is Redemption (Vs. 2). “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has delivered from the hand of the adversary.”
And what does this redemption include? Verses 14 and 16 tell us the Lord delivered us from death, from bondages and distresses. “He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke apart the bonds that held them” (Vs. 14). “For He has broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron apart” (Vs. 16).
Only Almighty God, the merciful, loving Heavenly Father can give us the next four blessings.
He delivers us out of our troubles and sicknesses that we bring upon ourselves through sin. “Some are fools (made ill) because of the way of their transgressions, and afflicted because of their iniquities” (Vs. 17).
When we repent, He forgives us again and again. “Then they cry to the Lord in their trouble and He delivers them out of their distresses” (Vs. 19).
And He heals us physically. Verse 20 reads, “He sends forth His word and heals them and rescues them from the pit and destruction.”
Thank God, He doesn’t forget to meet our emotional needs. “For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with good.”(Vs. 9).
As you continue to read Psalm 107, you will notice that God blesses our environment and provides amply to sustain us in life.

How then do we show our appreciation for the total care He lavishes upon us? And how can we express our devotion to Him?

The Psalmist has the answer. “And let them sacrifice the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and rehearse His deeds with shouts of joy and singing!”(Vs. 22).
The Holy Spirit through the Psalmist entreats us to focus on God. He is our Deliverer and our loving Father. Five verses of this Psalm repeat the plea saying: “Oh, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness and loving kindness, and His wonderful works to the children of men” (Vss. 1,8, 15, 21, 31.)
Praise brings God’s presence. In Psalm 22 we read that God “inhabits the praises” of His people. How awesome that we can enjoy God’s presence every day of our lives on earth.

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