A Season of Thankfulness (Part 4)

This is Day 4 in our "5 Days of Thankful Preparation".

Now, as we travel home, or out of town, to be with friends and family, our gratitude can be tested by traffic, turkey drama, and terrible weather.

It is in exactly such moments that we need to break into our supply of psalms to give us the words of thankfulness with which to lead our hearts into the love of our faithful Savior!

My hope is that this sequenced release of verses this week will tenderize our hearts with thankfulness and re-center our view of God’s loving care for us.

With each of the following passages from the Psalms, take time to read it out loud, and then after you finish it, ask yourself two simple questions…

1. How does this passage reveal God’s goodness?
2. What can I learn from this passage about my gratefulness?

Psalm 106:47

Save us, O Lord our God,
    and gather us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
    and glory in your praise.

His goodness?

My gratefulness?

Psalm 107:1

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
    for his steadfast love endures forever!

His goodness?

My gratefulness?

Psalm 108:2-4

Awake, O harp and lyre!

    I will awake the dawn!

    I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;

    I will sing praises to you among the nations.

For your steadfast love is great above the heavens;

    your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

His goodness?

My gratefulness?

Psalm 109:30-31

With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord;
    I will praise him in the midst of the throng.
For he stands at the right hand of the needy one,
    to save him from those who condemn his soul to death.

His goodness?

My gratefulness?

Psalm 111:1-3

Praise the Lord!

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,

    in the company of the upright, in the congregation.

Great are the works of the Lord,

    studied by all who delight in them.

Full of splendor and majesty is his work,

    and his righteousness endures forever. (also 118:1-3, 29; 135:1-3)

His goodness?

My gratefulness?

Here are just a few of my own answers to the questions asked above:

• Psalm 106... God’s goodness is committed to saving and gathering his people into a relationship with him and each other. When we pray, do we ask for help so that we will have one more reason to give thanks?

• Psalm 107... Some things are worth repeating because they are important, and sometimes because we are so quick to forget the important stuff. This is one I am thankful is repeated at least 45 times in the Old Testament!

• Psalm 108... God’s goodness permeates all of creation, and when we see it, we can’t keep it to ourselves. Sometimes, expressing gratitude with our words and deeds even gets us out of bed in the morning!

• Psalm 109… God’s goodness is not far away—he stands next to the needy to save them from those who condemn. So, we stand together to worship the Lord, for our gratitude is too great not to be spoken publicly!

• Psalm 111… The more we study the works of the Lord, the more we see the splendor and majesty with which they are infused. He leaves behind an enduring DNA of uprightness. Great work deserves our wholehearted gratitude, not just a “golf clap”.

A Season of Thankfulness (Part 3)

This is Day 3 in our 5 Days of Thankful Preparation. I hope you are reading these few verses along with me! I wonder how these verses are directing your heart and attitude this week? 

If you are like so many, the stress level can rise significantly with commutes lengthened, not to mention any out-of-town travel (oops, I mentioned it—Portland International Airport expects 67,000 passengers just tomorrow!), shopping, cooking, trying to create lasting memories, etc. I can either get caught up in the madness, adding my own thrashing about to the storm, or allow the oil of gratitude to calm some of the troubled waters around me for the good of others.

My hope is that this sequenced release of verses this week will tenderize our hearts with thankfulness and re-center our view of God's loving map of our life.

With each of the following passages from the Psalms, take time to read it out loud, and then after you finish reading it, ask two simple questions…

1. How does this passage reveal God’s goodness?
2. What can I learn from this passage about my gratefulness?

Psalm 92:1-4

It is good to give thanks to the Lord, 

    to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
    and your faithfulness by night,
to the music of the lute and the harp,
    to the melody of the lyre.
For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;
    at the works of your hands I sing for joy.

His goodness?

My gratefulness?

Psalm 95:1-3

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
    let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
    let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
For the Lord is a great God,
    and a great King above all gods.

His goodness?

My gratefulness?

Psalm 97:11-12

Light is sown for the righteous,

    and joy for the upright in heart.

Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous,

    and give thanks to his holy name!

His goodness?

My gratefulness?

Psalm 100:3-5

Know that the Lord, he is God!

    It is he who made us, and we are his;

    we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

    and his courts with praise!

    Give thanks to him; bless his name!

For the Lord is good;

    his steadfast love endures forever,

    and his faithfulness to all generations.

His goodness?

My gratefulness?

Psalm 105:1-3

Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;

    make known his deeds among the peoples!

Sing to him, sing praises to him;

    tell of all his wondrous works!

Glory in his holy name;

    let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!

His goodness?

My gratefulness?

Psalm 106:1-3

Praise the Lord!

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,

    for his steadfast love endures forever!

Who can utter the mighty deeds of the Lord,

    or declare all his praise?

Blessed are they who observe justice,

    who do righteousness at all times!

His goodness?

My gratefulness?

Here are just a few of my own answers to the questions asked above:

Psalm 92… Thankful living starts the day trusting in God’s love and ends it by rehearing his faithfulness throughout my day. Noticing what God does should produce joy and gladness. My thankfulness is a good response to the steadfast goodness that God shows to me.

Psalm 95... The goodness of the Lord exceeds that of anything or anyone else we might be tempted to worship. I should have a word of thankful praise on my lips when I meet God—not because he demands it, but because (1) He delivered me, and (2) I get to meet the Lord! Wow!

Psalm 97… It is the goodness of God that lightens my soul, enabling me to rejoice instead of cowering in fear at my circumstances. It is a sign that things are right in my life when I rejoice in God and am thankful for everything about him.

Psalm 100… While I may not like being compared to a sheep, God’s goodness gives me a place to belong (we are his people!) and to celebrate the gift of his steadfast love. Because God doesn’t change, he remains faithful to all generations.

Psalm 105… Gratitude is more than saying thanks in the moment of enjoyment, it involves remembrance—a calling to mind of past expressions of his goodness—and declaring them thankfully! God is not a killjoy, but rather the source of all joy!

Psalm 106… The goodness of God’s love doesn’t end, and if we had eyes to see everything he does for us, neither would we be able to express all the praise in response. One way I can show gratitude is to live justly and do what is right for all we encounter.

[This is also posted on my Our Long View blog.]

A Season of Thankfulness (Part 2)

This is Day 2 in our 5 Days of Thankful Preparation

I won’t repeat all of my introductory comments (See Part 1) but will keep it short.

My hope is that this sequenced release of verses this week will tenderize our hearts with thankfulness and re-center our view of the God-loving map of our life.

With each of the following passages from the Psalms, take time to read it out loud, and then after you finish it, ask two simple questions…

1. How does this passage reveal God’s goodness?

2. What can I learn from this passage about my gratefulness?

This is a short week, and we all have lots to do, so much that we need to be intentional about practicing our gratitude and allowing our hearts to respond to God's goodness!

Psalm 44:7-8

But you have saved us from our foes
    and have put to shame those who hate us.
In God we have boasted continually,
    and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah

His goodness?

My gratefulness?

Psalm 54:6-7

With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you;
    I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good.
For he has delivered me from every trouble,
    and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.

His goodness?

My gratefulness?

Psalm 57:6-10

They set a net for my steps;

    my soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my way,
    but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah
My heart is steadfast, O God,
    my heart is steadfast!
    I will sing and make melody!

Awake, my glory!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
    I will awake the dawn!
    I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
    I will sing praises to you among the nations.
For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,
        your faithfulness to the clouds.

His goodness?

My gratefulness?

Psalm 75:1

We give thanks to you, O God;

 we give thanks, for your name is near.
We recount your wondrous deeds.

His goodness?

My gratefulness?

Psalm 79:12-13

Return sevenfold into the lap of our neighbors

    the taunts with which they have taunted you, O Lord!

But we your people, the sheep of your pasture,

    will give thanks to you forever;

    from generation to generation we will recount your praise.

His goodness?

My gratefulness?

Psalm 86:11-13

Teach me your way, O Lord,
    that I may walk in your truth;
    unite my heart to fear your name.
I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
    and I will glorify your name forever.
For great is your steadfast love toward me;
    you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

His goodness?

My gratefulness?

In case you are curious, here are just a few of my own answers to the questions asked above:

• Psalm 44... I can trust that his goodness will restore our reputation and deliver us from enemies, though things may get worse before they get better. Gratitude talks about what God has done more than what I have done.
• Psalm 54... The best offering is one given willingly; gratitude is no different. Just because we haven’t been at war doesn’t mean that God hasn’t delivered me. How has God given me victory recently?
• Psalm 57... He faithfully loves us to space and back…and his love changes everything! Gratitude is not shy but eager, bold, and far-reaching in a desire to share the blessing.
• Psalm 75... The name of God represents all that he is in character, power, and deeds. Our gratitude is evidence that he is near to us.
• Psalm 79... God's goodness multiplies and redirects the taunts of those who trash-talked against him. Gratitude is a wonderful inheritance to pass down to our kids and their kids.
• Psalm 86... The more we know God, the more we will respect and love him. Gratitude should be shaped by the steadfast goodness of God…wholehearted and enduring.

A Season for Thankfulness (Part 1)

This 5-part series is also posted on my pastoral blog, Our Long View.

The Psalms have provided the language of worship for God’s people for thousands of years. As we have seen, they express the whole range of human emotions (rising out of a diverse set of circumstances) and process those emotions through the character of the Lord.

This week is the time we have set aside in the United States to give thanks to God for his goodness to us—not because we deserve it, but because we need it. Very little Biblical gratitude arises out of material wealth and prosperity, but out of remembering a desperate need for God’s deliverance and his faithfulness to answer that need. Recent studies on PTSD have shown that those who go through traumatic experiences and are most resilient to their negative effects are those who choose to focus on thankfulness for what they have rather than focusing on anger or fear in the face of what they may have lost or nearly lost. 

I have compiled a fairly complete list of verses from the Psalms that express human gratitude to the Lord God and will post a few each day this week for your devotional reading. Gratitude is one spiritual practice at which we need more practice.

May we not gather primarily for a football game or turkey and potatoes and pie, but to celebrate the faithfulness of God and to share his goodness with our family and friends.

My hope is that this sequenced release of verses this week will tenderize our hearts with thankfulness and re-center our view of God's loving map of our life.

With each of the following passages, take time to read it out loud, and then, after reading it, ask two simple questions…

1.       How does this passage reveal God’s goodness?
2.       What can I learn from this passage about my gratefulness? 

Psalm 7:17

I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness,
    and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.

• His goodness?
• My gratefulness?

Psalm 9:1-2

Photo by Alex Woods on Unsplash

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;

    I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.

I will be glad and exult in you;

    I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

• His goodness?
• My gratefulness?

Psalm 28:6-8

Blessed be the Lord!
    For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
       in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
                  my heart exults,
    and with my song I give thanks to him.

The Lord is the strength of his people;
            he is the saving refuge of his anointed.

• His goodness?
• My gratefulness?

Psalm 30:3-5

O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
    you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.

Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
    and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger is but for a moment,    and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,    but joy comes with the morning.

• His goodness?
• My gratefulness?

Psalm 33:1-3

Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!
    Praise befits the upright.
Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
    make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
Sing to him a new song;
    play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

• His goodness?
• My gratefulness?

Here are just a few of the answers to the questions asked above:

• Psalm 7... We should be thankful that God is righteous and not corrupt like worldly powers.
• Psalm 9... Grateful people take the time to remember and retell the good things that God has done for them.
• Psalm 30... Gratitude confesses how messed up we were inside before God’s love rescued us.
• Psalm 28... My enthusiastic gratitude expresses my adoration for a strong salvation.
• Psalm 33... Music lends itself to expressing thanks to the Lord. Gratitude is expressed joyfully through diverse creativity.

Psalm 36: What Speaks to Us...Deep in Our Heart?

Psalm 36 is especially appropriate during this Lenten season as we examine our hearts before the Lord as we remember his great work to purify our hearts and deliver us from the death our sins produce. 

This post is excerpted from a longer post previously published on my Our Long View blog entitled, "Where there’s Smoke there’s Fire". This brief reflection on Psalm 36 is merely the first part of a longer teaching found there.

“What’s In Your Heart?” or, “What Speaks to your heart?” (Psalm 36)     

A long-running credit card ad series asked "What's in your wallet?" Our approach to Psalm 36 asks "What's in your heart?" or "What speaks to your heart?" 

Psalm 36 describes the nature of the heart of the wicked. Often commentators summarize this passage in terms of the wicked person’s behavior which is certainly addressed, but it is deeper than that. 

This section (v.1-4) describes their heart and what flows out of it.

Transgression speaks to the wicked  
         deep in his heart;
there is no fear of God  before his eyes.
  For he flatters himself in his own eyes
    that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit;
         he has ceased to act wisely and do good.
He plots trouble while on his bed;
         he sets himself in a way that is not good;
         he does not reject evil.

When I read this passage I have to ask the question, “What speaks to me, deep in my heart?” We will do what we want to do; we will serve what we love. It may be God and the people he created in his image, or we may serve only ourselves. The wicked serve themselves to the harm of others. We should not fall into the error of the wicked and imagine that we will get away with our iniquity. God will hold us accountable for what we have done. It is hard to imagine someone who lays in bed at night planning how they might take advantage of others the next day! May we not allow transgression to speak to us deep in our hearts. That place should be reserved for something much better!

In contrast to the wicked, the psalmist allows God’s love to capture his heart in v. 5-9,

Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,

    your faithfulness to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
    your judgments are like the great deep;
             man and beast you save, O Lord.

How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
    The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
    and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
       in your light do we see light.

He ends this psalm with a heartfelt prayer for God’s love to continue (v. 10), and a prayer to be delivered from the actions of the wicked for they will ultimately be “unable to rise.” (v.11-12). 

So how can we keep the pride of the wicked from our own hearts? 

Proverbs 6 gives us a plain warning…like that of a smoke detector! The rest of this message can be found in, "Where there’s Smoke there’s Fire".