Thankology

Psalm 118 sets a perfect example for us. It begins,

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”

And it goes on, testifying to God’s actions, testifying to God’s faithfulness, even in the face of death. We trust and give thanks because of God—what God has done and who God is. This whole psalm points continually to God, affirming over and over that God is for us and therefore we have nothing to fear and everything for which to be grateful.

Give thanks to the Lord—not because of how much you have been given, but to proclaim: God is good.

Give thanks to the Lord—not because of how good everything is for you, but to proclaim God’s love endures forever.

The person singing Psalm 118 knew we needed to give thanks together. It keeps things in perspective. It keeps us right sized. That’s why in the first few verses the singer addresses the people as a whole. The psalmist identifies the people of Israel, the house of Aaron, and all who fear the Lord; telling them to say together, “God’s love endures forever.”

Reminding one another the Psalmist is clear:

In my anguish I cried to the Lord, and he answered by setting me free. . . .

The nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord, I cut them off. . . .

I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me. . . .

We each have stories of God’s help and God’s care, times when we were in trouble and somehow things came out all right; times when we received help when we needed it most.

This is a good time to remember what the singer of this psalm knew and what those who have gone before us knew: God is for us. When we know that God is for us, it’s possible to live in faith instead of in fear, even in the face of death.

When we know that God is for us, we can have an attitude of trust—an attitude that sees God’s hand at work in our lives and in the lives of those we love.

Everything in this psalm points to what God has done and what God is doing:

The Lord is with me; he is my helper. . . .

The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. . . .

The Lord has done this. . . .

This is the day the Lord has made. . . .

The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. . . .

Now we know that there are times in all our lives when we don’t feel like being grateful. We are not sure we even want to pray to a God who would allow the terrible tragedy that has happened to you or to a loved one. We all understand these issues. It’s in these times we all should take comfort in knowing our God has felt our pains and suffered our losses. He knows our emotions. He has even cried. He knew how hard it would be for us at times.

It’s why, at the end of his ministry on earth, when he knew he was going to have to die for us, He would stop and pray for us. The prayer is recorded by His close friend John in the 17th chapter and you can read it for yourself, but the ending is really important. Take a listen to Jesus' prayer…

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.