Title Give thanks to Jehovah! .....
2010·07·03
are you happy People think that if they have enough and the environment is good, they will be happy. But it is not possessions or circumstances that determine happiness. That's thanks. How good a person's faith is, how rich the life is, and how happy that person is depends on how grateful that person is.
Human beings cannot survive on their own. It is a being that can only survive with the help of someone all the time. We cannot live a moment, especially without God's help. But God continues to pour out unfathomable grace on us every moment of every day. Therefore, we deserve to thank God every moment of every day. Those who realize and appreciate God's grace that pours out every moment of every day can live the happiest life in the world. But we do not realize the grace that God pours out on us. So I forget to be grateful and live. Forgetting gratitude makes life unhappy and difficult. Thanksgiving is not only a season to thank God for the grace we have received, but it is also a season to restore our forgotten gratitude.
In the text, the poet sings to give thanks to God. Psalm 136 is the chapter where the word thanksgiving is used the most in the Bible. From verses 1-26, the word 'thank you' is used once in every verse. The poet has four things to be thankful for in the text. First, give thanks for the greatness of God (verses 1-3). Second, give thanks for the creation of heaven and earth (verses 4-9). Third, give thanks for redeeming Israel and leading them to Canaan (verses 10-22). Fourth, give thanks for God's providence (verses 23-26).
Giving thanks to God for His greatness (verses 1-3)
We have much to be thankful for, but the psalmist recommends that we first give thanks to God Himself. Do you think you know enough about the God you believe in? It can be said that knowing God is faith. Knowing God, but not only intellectually, but personally. Knowing God deeply and living in a close relationship with God is the greatest blessing and glory that humans can enjoy. Therefore, it can be said that there is no greater blessing than a right and abundant knowledge of God. The more we get to know God correctly and fully, the more we can't help but thank God. The psalmist told us to give thanks to God for His goodness and mercy, and to give thanks for His excellence.
Of the goodness and mercy of God - “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, and his lovingkindness endures forever” (verse 1). Therefore, we can rely on our God as much as we want. God grants abundant grace and power to His people who fully trust Him. Therefore, believers who fully trust in God are safe and secure in God's hands. When we come to know the goodness and mercy of God properly, we cannot help but be grateful.
Concerning God's supremacy - "Give thanks to God, who is superior among gods, for his mercy endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord who is superior among lords, for his mercy endures forever" (verses 2-3). There are many religions and gods in the world, and there are many powerful rulers. All of them are mere creatures. Only God is the only Creator and Almighty.
God is not only good and merciful, but also Almighty. God loves me and is good to me. He is all-powerful and solves all my problems. Even all things work together for good. Therefore, in God we are safe and cannot go wrong. We have come to believe in this God. So how grateful are we for God's greatness, mercy, and faithfulness? The more we meditate on God, the more we can't help but be grateful.
Giving thanks to God for making the heavens and the earth
We should be thankful that God created the heavens and the earth. God created the heavens and the earth with goodness and was pleased with them. God created all things in the universe for good, and in the end created human beings so that they can live happily in a beautiful and prosperous world.
How wonderfully has God created our bodies? Our body is like a small universe, mysterious, sophisticated, and amazing. Modern science is developing advanced equipment and technologies. You don't know how many amazing things there are. However, from the beginning, God created our body to be far more perfect and amazing than what cutting-edge science is creating.
Let's take an example. One of the masterpieces of modern scientific civilization is the sensor. This sensor detects a given condition and automatically maintains the most appropriate situation by operating the machine. It is only recently that such sensors have appeared. However, from the beginning, God has installed countless perfect sensors in the natural world and our bodies. How amazing is that?
Not only that, God has created a pleasant and abundant environment for us to live in. How grateful have you been for the oxygen you drink every moment of every day? If we don't get this oxygen for a while, we die. How about water? We cannot live without water. Without water, agriculture and all industries would be impossible. Can you imagine living without water? Are you grateful for every glass of water you drink, every time you wash your body with water?
How about the sun? Nothing can exist without sunlight. If we don't get sunlight for a few days, we're all depressed. And if it continues for a longer period of time, it will do serious damage. And finally, no one can live. And yet, we do not know how to be thankful for this sunlight that shines on us every day.
Regarding the earth, Spurgeon said (this is not a scientist's words) “If the quality of the soil is softer, people will just fall in; if it is harder, it will not be tilled. It is neither softer nor harder than it is, on which one walks safely and tills. And among the strata, there is a layer of sand that filters and purifies the dirty water, and on the surface of the earth there are mountains and plains, which beautify the scenery and benefit people’s health.”
How grateful are you for all of this? All of this nature that we take for granted is the most perfect and beautiful thing that God has made for us. Therefore, we should be thankful while enjoying all these things.
Giving thanks to God for salvation (verses 10-22)
What we should be most grateful for is the grace that saved us. The psalmist sings thanks to God for bringing the ten plagues upon Egypt and bringing Israel out, for making them cross the Red Sea, for leading them in the wilderness and striking down powerful enemies, and finally for allowing them to enter and live in the land of Canaan. There is. That is to say, thank you for the grace that saved us.
Today, like Israel, we too have been saved by God's grace. We were hopeless of eternal destruction because of our sins. But God chose us before the foundation of the world and sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for us and save us. And, once chosen and called, he will never forsake us. We will live in the grace and protection of God in this world and enter the eternal kingdom of God. It is an eternally blessed and glorious place, free from sin and death, pain and sorrow. How blessed and thankful that we are saved like this today.
How grateful and excited are you for this saving grace of God? Are we not living in the midst of the feeling of salvation being too cold? What hope do we have if we are not saved? How miserable, pitiful, and empty life would be? At this time, I hope that the Holy Spirit will open our hearts and make us realize the love of the cross of the Lord deeply and passionately. I hope that you will deeply understand the grace of salvation. So, I hope that from now on, you will live a more grateful life as a saint with a strong sense of salvation.
Giving thanks for God's providence (verses 23-26)
The poet also tells us to give thanks for God's providence. God's absolute sovereignty over all things in the universe according to His good will is called providence. In that good providence, God guides me to be good. “Give thanks to him who saved us from our lowliness, for his love endures forever” (verse 23). . Because of our sins, we were subject to God's wrath and curse, and we had no choice but to face eternal destruction. But God remembered us. Not only that, he remembers us when we are in trouble and delivers us from our enemies (including all difficulties).
God also provides food for all flesh. “Give thanks to him who gives food to all flesh, for his love endures forever” (verse 25). The Lord used the lilies of the field and the birds of the air to illustrate that God is the one who provides food to all flesh. And he said that God would provide us with everything we needed, so we have nothing to worry about.
We always say that the economy is hard, the economy is bad, and it's hard to live. But look how rich and peaceful we are today. Instead of thinking only about hardship and negativity, you should always be grateful that all these things are the grace of God.
God has pity on us. He recognizes our weakness and provides what we need. He rescues us from all our troubles. He guides us to be good in that good providence. So nothing can go wrong with us. We are safe in God's hands. How grateful are you?
We cannot live for a moment without God's grace. Have you not forgotten your gratitude so much? If our lives were often tiring, agonizing, and annoying, it is a sign that we have forgotten our gratitude. If we have been anxious and discouraged, it may be because we have not been able to live a life of gratitude. Let's restore gratitude from today. In particular, I hope that you will become members of the church who are deeply moved by gratitude for the grace of salvation. I hope that you will become a saint who vividly realizes God's abundant grace that is constantly poured out in your life and gives thanks fervently. I hope that you will become a happy saint who is moved and rejoiced every moment of every day by fully trusting in the faithful God and fervently giving thanks for all the grace that God has given.