O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: For his mercy endureth for ever (Psalm 136:1 KJV)
The Psalmist exhorts us to give thanks unto the LORD and further enlist two reasons why we should do so—for He is good and His mercy endureth for ever. The goodness of the LORD and His enduring mercy for us are reasons sufficient for us to give Him thanks. In other words, we are commanded to be grateful for the LORD’s goodness and mercy.
Thanksgiving in this context is a verbal response of our gratitude for the LORD’s goodness and mercy. In other words, we have benefited from this goodness, and we show our appreciation by telling Him “thank You”! Giving thanks is not by coercion or force. It is not an obligation. It is a willing recognition and expression of a tangible reason to be grateful. Therefore, it becomes evident that thanksgiving is stifled when we fail to see how good the LORD has been to us.
Sin in this broken world has blurred our vision of God’s goodness. Look at creation and imagine what it was before the fall. What was the Lord thinking about us when He created the earth and the beautiful things that make life so sweet? Even after sin entered and ruined our lives, He reached out in grace and gave us the best gift He possibly could give, that is, His very Son.
See the heart of the Father, and give thanks unto Him.
MEDITATE
Think upon the verse above, and meditate for a minute on what it means. How does it apply to you? Do you have a habit of giving thanks to the LORD?
APPLY THE WORD
Thanksgiving begins with a heart of gratitude. It starts when we recognize we are benefiting from His goodness and mercy. A grateful heart can express itself in many ways but chiefly by the words “thank You”! Tell Him Thank You as many times as you can do, not just when you have an allotted time of prayer!
PRAY
Thank the LORD for His goodness and mercy.