John Reynolds, in his Anecdotes of the Rev. John Wesley (1828), tells the story of Wesley’s student days at Lincoln College in Oxford. A porter knocked on Wesley’s door one evening and asked to speak with him. After some conversation, Wesley noted the man’s thin coat (it was a cold winter night), and suggested that he had better get a warmer one. The porter replied: "This coat ... is the only coat I have in the world - and I thank God for it."
When asked if he had eaten, he replied: "I have had nothing today but a draught of spring water ... and I thank God for that."
Wesley, growing uneasy in the man’s presence, reminded him that the headmaster would lock him out if he did not soon return to his quarters. "Then what shall you have to thank God for?" Wesley asked.
"I will thank Him," replied the porter, "that I have dry stones to lie upon."
Deeply moved by the man’s sincerity, Wesley said, "You thank God when you have nothing to wear; ... nothing to eat ... [and] no bed to lie on. I cannot see what you have to thank God for."
The man replied: "I thank God... that he has given me life and being; a heart to love Him, and a desire to serve Him."
The man left with a coat from Wesley’s closet, some money for food and words of appreciation for his living testimony. Wesley later wrote these words in his Journal: "I shall never forget that porter. He convinced me there is something in religion to which I am a stranger."
Impressive, challenging, and begs the question, “Do I offer that kind of thanksgiving to God, or am I, as Wesley put it, a stranger to that side of religion?”
I. INTRODUCTION
1. We’ve gathered this evening as a community of faith; though we represent four congregations (or more), we share a common bond…we are children of God, brothers and sisters in like faith, and joint heirs with Christ.
2. Tonight we have come to worship the Almighty God: to thank him for [1] his presence in our lives, [2] his saving and enduring mercy, [3] his protection, and [4] providence to us.
3. Interestingly, the people of Israel were accustomed to the same practice. They often gathered as a community to do the very same thing. As I prepared for this service, I thought it would be fun to look back to the nation of Israel, and how she gave thanks as a community. (READ Psalm 65)
II. BACKGROUND
1. In the back of your hymnal, you will likely find a topical index, which directs you to songs befitting any occasion: songs of joy, of lament, of God’s grace and providence throughout history; and even into the future. You will also find songs appropriate to certain holidays, both Christian and national.
2. One might say that the hymnal represents the whole of Christian experience; elation of joy, cries of lament, grief for the lost, prayers for the dying. That is exactly how I want you to understand the Psalms. It is the hymnal of the Jewish nation.
A. Within this book of Hebrew poetry, we find writings that encompass the whole of human existence: the good, the bad, and the ugly.
B. We hear shouts of joy, cries of despair, praise and thanksgiving. We see the whole of Israel’s history portrayed in the psalms (or hymns) that she sings in her worship.
3. When the community of Israel gathered (as we have) to give thanks, they would sing hymns of thanksgiving; tonight’s psalm is one such hymn. TWM to Ps. 65 as we discover the Magnificence of His Providence: God of Grace, God of Might, and God of Plenty.
III. GOD OF GRACE (vv. 1-4)
1. Praise awaits you (lit. “To you, silence [is] praise). A difficult phrase; it may imply “silence is praise”. It may sometimes be the height of worship, in other words, to fall silent before God in awe at his presence and in submission to his will.
A. Our vows will be fulfilled is Israel’s response to God, for the blessing of answered prayer and forgiveness that he gives them.
B. The Israelites believed that blessing was reciprocal; as God blessed them they had to respond in order to complete the cycle. Therefore, in this verse, they respond to his blessing by honoring the vows they made (at time of their prayer of need).
2. To you all men shall come. All humanity can find grace and forgiveness from God.
3. [How fortunate] are those you draw near to you. This implies that not everyone accepts God’s grace, though it is available to all. God fills those who draw near to him with the good things of your house (i.e., abundantly blessed).
4. The God of grace reached out to his people when sin overwhelmed them; and that is worth celebrating!
IV. GOD OF MIGHT (vv. 5-8)
1. The emphasis now turns to the God of might (i.e. Lord of nature and man), whose power to put the unruly in their place is as welcome as it is formidable. The hope of all (v.5)… does not imply that all men trust in God, but rather, that they should.
2. The mountains, which seem awesome and secure, and the sea that roars with all its power, are still subject to their Creator. Nature, regardless how impressive and daunting, is under the control of the God of might.
3. The God of might subdues even the warring nations, frightful and ruthless in their pursuits. The whole expanse of the earth, from east to west, praises its Creator.
4. Israel offers praise to the Lord for his omnipotence. He is the all-powerful God, greater than any of the pagan gods; so powerful is he that both nature and nations revere him.
V. GOD OF PLENTY (vv.9-13)
1. It is hard to surpass the Psalmist’s imagery of the fertile earth given in vv. 9-13. It begins with an analytical description, and then moves to poetic refrain, where the hills and fields put on their finest clothes and make merry together. The imagery is spectacular; read portions like this slowly if you want to absorb the majesty the Biblical writer intended.
2. The God of plenty provides all that the earth needs to bring forth crops to feed its inhabitants. This statement is impressive, given the understanding of the pagan nations around Israel.
A. Ancients believed in fertility gods, who, when properly manipulated, caused crops to grow. Good harvests meant they were happy; lean years meant they were angry. Pagan worshippers, in this model, were responsible for the outcome of their crops.
B. The Psalmist contradicts this fallacy, declaring the God of plenty as Creator and sustainer of the earth, bringing forth the crops on his own accord.
3. So good is God to the earth, so healthy and vibrant does she feel that she joins Israel in songs of praise! Imagine – the hills, meadows and seas singing their praises to God!
VI. CONCLUSION
1. When the community of Israel gathered to worship, they gave thanks to God for his grace, might and providence.
A. The God of Grace, who, when they were overwhelmed in sin, forgave them mercifully.
B. The God of Might, who preserved them amidst threats from warring nations and natural disasters.
C. The God of Plenty, who fed the earth so that it might feed the people.
2. Israel worshipped the magnificence of his
providence; giving thanks for the past and future.
VII. APPLICATION & CHALLENGE
1. We are a people prone to see what is missing, rather than what is present. We see a nation at war, endless political infighting, economic woes, and declining moral values. We bemoan the downward spiral of our time without regard to our relationship with the God of grace, might and providence.
2. Our goal this evening must be to give thanks to him who controls every aspect of creation, to respond to his blessing with thanks, praise, adoration, offerings; reciprocating to his blessing with fervor and delight, facing each day in the presence of Almighty God.
The porter’s response to Wesley’s cynicism was, "I thank God... that he has given me life and being; a heart to love Him, and a desire to serve Him." Wesley’s journal entry was "I shall never forget that porter. He convinced me there is something in religion to which I am a stranger."
