Give Thanks to the Lord!

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.

Psalm 107:1

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day in the United States, a time set aside to remember what God has done for us and to offer thanks for his generosity and grace. Therefore, I thought we might take a brief break from our devotional series in Isaiah so that we might focus on giving thanks to God.

Psalm 107 is a resounding call to gratitude. It begins by inviting us to give thanks to God. Why? “For he is good.” And how do we experience this goodness? “His faithful love endures forever.” God never stops loving us. He is always faithful, always on our side, always wanting our best.

The rest of Psalm 107 provides specific examples of God’s goodness. He leads the lost into safety. He feeds the hungry. He sets prisoners free. He heals the sick. He calms the storms. He provides harvests for the farmers. He rescues the poor. Of course, these deeds only begin to account for God’s goodness to us. So much more could be added to the list, most of all: God saves us from our sins through Christ. He welcomes us into relationship with him and his people. He empowers us so that we might serve him in the world.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: How have you experienced God’s goodness? Why not take some time to reflect upon all that God has done for you, so that you might offer thanks in abundance?

PRAYER: O Lord, I thank you today because you are good. Your goodness is part and parcel of your very nature. Indeed, all true goodness is derived from you.

I have experienced your goodness, dear Lord, in so very many ways. You have been good to me from before the beginning of time, choosing me to be part of your family. You have blessed me with such riches of family and friendship, of safety and security, of beauty and harmony.

Most of all, you have showered your goodness upon me through Jesus Christ, in whom I have life, both now and in the age to come. Your forgiveness has covered my sins. Your mercy has given me so much better than I deserve. Your vision for me has given me a grand purpose for living.

All thanks and praise be to you, O God, for you are very, very good! Amen.