Come Into His Presence With Thanksgiving

“If only ___ happened in my life, then I would be happy and content.”

“If only ____ changed, then I wouldn’t be so dissatisfied all the time.”

“If only ____."

How would you fill in the blanks above? I have multiple things I would place in those blanks, things I look to as THE THING that would make my life better. A change in circumstances. An answered prayer. A dream realized. Healing of something broken. A provision. Whatever the “if only” is, it becomes my one focus and keeps me from remembering the goodness of the Lord and rejoicing in what he has done for me.

In truth, my “if-only’s” nurture my discontent.

Psalm 95: An Invitation to Worship

Psalm 95 is a psalm of praise, inviting worshippers into God’s presence. It expounds on reasons why we worship and praise the Lord. At the same time, it also presents a warning as it contrasts the grateful heart with that of a grumbling heart, reminding us of how easy it is to wander into discontentment. At its heart, this psalm shows us how being in God’s presence and dwelling on who he is fosters gratitude and thanksgiving, rather than discontentment.

The psalmist begins with an invitation to worship: “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! (vv.1-2). This worship is directed to “the rock of our salvation.” When we consider how the Lord has delivered us from sin by his grace, we can’t help but respond in joyful praise. We can’t help but give him the thanks he is due. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.

The author goes on to explain why we worship and give thanks:

• for the LORD is a great God (v.3)

• He is a great King above all gods (v. 3)

• He owns the earth (v.4)

• He created all things; he is our Maker (vv.5-6)

• He is our God! (v.7)

• We are his people, his sheep (v.7)

Our God is greater than all. He created and rules over all things. Everything belongs to him. But he is not a God who rules from a distance; he is very near. He is our God. He knows us and we know him. Even more, he shepherds us. We can’t help but think of Psalm 23 and the tender description of God as a shepherd caring for his flock and of Jesus’ description of himself as the Good Shepherd in John 10. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep…I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me” (John 10:11, 14). What a privilege to worship the God of the universe who knows each of his sheep!

When Hearts Wander

These verses stand in contrast to what comes next in Psalm 95 as the psalmist cautions worshippers to remember their ancestors who wandered from their Good Shepherd. They hardened their hearts at Meribah (v.8). They put God to the test, despite witnessing his wondrous works to deliver them from slavery (v.9). They grumbled and complained and doubted God’s goodness. They did not give him thanks for his faithfulness to them and to his covenant. They were rebellious and hard-hearted. As a result, they did not experience the Lord’s rest (v. 11). They wandered in the desert for forty years and missed out on entering the Promised Land.

Psalm 95 reminds worshippers just how important it is to keep our minds and hearts fixed on the character and works of God and to respond to him with thanksgiving, for we are prone to wander. We so easily forget what the Lord has done for us. Like Israel, we forget the God who rescued and delivered us the moment we hunger. When Israel faced difficult circumstances, they were quick to respond with their own “if-only’s.” “If only the LORD had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.” (Ex. 16:3). They remembered the food they ate in Egypt and longed to return back to slavery rather than trust in the God who owns all the fields of the earth. And we do the same. But praise God for his grace toward those who wander! Our Good Shepherd will never let even one of his sheep go far (Luke 15:3-7). And no one can take his sheep from him: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:27-28).

When we come into God’s presence, dwelling on who he is and what he has done, our discontented hearts are reshaped into grateful ones. We respond in joy and thanksgiving. For he is our God; he know us and we know him.

Photo by Tanner Yould on Unsplash

Give Thanks With Your Whole Heart

Later this month, we celebrate Thanksgiving in the U.S. It’s a time to gather with family and friends and enjoy a feast. It’s a time to give thanks for all our blessings, to express our gratitude for all that we have. When the holiday was first announced by President Lincoln in 1863, it was assumed that such thanks would be offered to God. In our post-Christian culture, people still express gratitude for the good things in their life, but not to the One who gives them all that they have, including their very breath.

For those who profess faith in Christ, what does our offer of thanksgiving look like?

In Psalm 9, the psalmist wrote, “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.” (vv.1-2). In Hebrew poetry, when two lines are joined together, they are considered a couplet where the second line repeats what is stated in the first line. It echoes the thought in the previous line, providing further information on what the first statement means. In the case of verse one, recounting all of God’s wondrous deeds is what it means to give thanks to the Lord with one’s whole heart. So rather than just verbalizing a general statement of thanksgiving to God, we look back at our life and list or recount all that God has done.

And that’s what the author does in Psalm 9. Some scholars think David wrote this psalm after his win against Goliath; others see it as a psalm recounting God’s deliverance over David’s enemies in general, those enemies who stood against him as he took over the land God promised to his people. In this psalm, David reveals the reasons why he is giving thanks. He recounts the Lord’s faithfulness in delivering him from his enemies (vv.3-6). He describes the Lord’s character and how he relates to his people. (vv.7-10) The Lord is just, righteous, and a stronghold. He does not forsake those who place their trust in him. David then exhorts, “Sing praises to the LORD, who sits enthroned in Zion! Tell among the peoples his deeds!” (v. 11).

To give thanks with our whole heart is to do more than just say, “Thank you”; it is gratitude that bubbles up from deep inside our heart. It’s the response of those who know that all good things come from the Father in heaven. It’s the response of the humble—those who acknowledge that God alone is the source of all that we have. Further, when we give thanks, it’s not so much about the gift itself, but about the Giver, for as the psalmist wrote, “I will be glad and exult in you” (v.2). This is what makes the gratitude of a Christian different from other expressions of thanksgiving. We give thanks and rejoice in God; the non-believer rejoices in the gift.

When we give thanks during this season of Thanksgiving, let us recount the things that God has done, not just the things done for us today, but even the things God has done for us in the past. The Puritan preacher, Matthew Henry, wrote in his commentary, “When we give thanks for some one particular mercy we should take occasion thence to remember former mercies and so to show forth all his marvellous works.”

This Thanksgiving, let us ask: How has God been faithful to me in my life? How has he provided? How has he comforted? How has he sheltered? How has he delivered? “The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you” (vv. 9-10).

As we recount his wondrous deeds, let us give thanks with our whole heart.

Photo by Adam Winger on Unsplash

A Thanksgiving Prayer

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever” (Ps. 136:1).

It’s that time of year when we gather with friends and family and enjoy a Thanksgiving feast. It’s the time of year where we share with one another what we are grateful for— when we reflect on all the good things we’ve enjoyed the past year. We find ourselves listing the people we cherish, the gracious provisions we’ve received, and the prayers God has answered. We remember experiences we’ve enjoyed. We remember how God has provided for our needs. We remember the people he brought into our lives to encourage us. We remember hard journeys we’ve taken and how we’ve come out on the other side. These are all good things, things for which we ought to rejoice and give thanks to the Lord.

Yet believers are called to give thanks, not just once a year, but all the year through. In fact, it is God’s will that we give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thess. 5:18). And while we do give thanks for all that we have received, for answered prayers, for all we enjoy in life, we also give thanks even when we are empty handed. Psalm 136 reminds us to give thanks to the Lord, not just for what he provides, but also for who he is.

This psalm tells us to give thanks because:

• He is good and his love endures forever (v.1)

• He is God above all gods, Lord above all lords (vv. 2-3)

• He created all things (vv.4-9)

• He acts in history to bring about his purposes and redemption (vv.10-22)

• He saves and provides for his people (vv.23-26)

On this side of the cross, we can add to this list God’s greatest act of redemption, the sending of his Son to die on the cross for our sins. We can add his Spirit at work in our lives to make us new. We can add the promise and hope of eternity forever with him.

Some years when Thanksgiving rolls around, we might have many things on our list for which to give thanks. Other years, we may find ourselves in the midst of deep sorrow and suffering and find it harder to create that list. Whatever our year has been like— whether our hands are full or empty— we raise them up in praise to give thanks to the Lord for who he is.

He is good and his love endures forever.

Father in heaven,

You are good and your love endures forever. I come before you with a heart filled with sorrow from life lived in a fallen world. I come before you with worries and fears. I come before you uncertain about the future. Some days it’s hard to see the good among all the bad.

Even so, you are good and your love endures forever. I give you thanks and praise you for who you are. You are always good and only do what is good. I see this in your sovereign care over all you have made. I see this in your perfect Word and in your work in my life. I see this in your faithfulness to your covenant promises. Thank you for your steadfast love for me. You chose me, saved me, changed me, and secured me. I am yours forever and nothing and no one can take me from you.

Thank you for Jesus, for who he is and what he has done in his life, death, resurrection, and current reign over all things. When I stop and dwell on this, I am overwhelmed with thanksgiving. When I consider his humility and suffering on my behalf, I am astounded anew at the wonders of his grace. When I focus my heart on him, on how he is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature (Heb. 1:3), I hunger to know more of him. I pray you would give me “the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him” (Eph. 1:17).

For you are good and your steadfast love endures forever.

Forgive me when I forget who you are. Forgive me for focusing on the things of earth and not on your rule above it. Forgive me for doubting your love and care for me. Forgive me for living in my own strength, rather than resting in yours.

I pray Psalm 136’s song would the constant refrain of my heart. Help me to sing each day: you are good and your love endures forever.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

Psalm 138 and Giving Thanks to the Lord

Thanksgiving is nearly upon us, that annual holiday when we pause and give thanks for all God has done.

The book of Psalms is a great resource to help us verbalize our gratitude to the Lord. There are many songs there that give thanks to God in various situations and circumstances. In fact, there is an entire genre of psalms, called “thanksgiving psalms.” These psalms were crafted in response to God answering a lament. In essence, when the psalmist cried out to the Lord for help, and he responded, the psalmist then responded with thanksgiving.

Psalm 138 is one such psalm. In it, David responded in thanksgiving to the Lord for rescuing him from his enemies. We don’t know the exact lament this psalm is in response to because he writes of it in general terms. But we can tell it was a circumstance in which he feared for his life. Because this psalms is so general, it makes it easy for us to apply it to our own life and circumstances. Psalm 138 helps us worship and give thanks to the Lord for his goodness to us.

James Boice once wrote that “worship is acknowledging God as the great God he truly is and praising him for it. In other words, worship has to do with confessing God’s attributes…it also has to do with thanking God for what he has done.” In reading Psalm 138, we find a number of reasons to give thanks to God for who he is and what he has done.

Reasons to Give Thanks

1. God’s character and his ways: “I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word” (vv. 1-2). David begins the psalm right away with praising God. He identifies two central characteristics of God: love and faithfulness. This reminds us of numerous passage throughout Scripture that speak of God’s steadfast love (hesed) and faithfulness. In Exodus 34, when the Lord passed in front of Moses, he described himself as “abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” God is a covenant making and keeping God. He sets his love upon us and nothing can move it. He is faithful to keep his promises to his people. His name, I am, the one he gave to Moses, is exalted above all names. His word is life and truth. These are all covenantal reasons to give thanks to our great God.

2. God answers prayer: “On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased” (v.3). This is where the psalm gets personal. God heard David’s lament and he answered him. He strengthened him when his soul was weak and in despair. This prompts us to remember all the times the Lord has met us in our own pits of sorrow; when we thought the sun would never rise again, the Lord provided the grace we needed to endure and brought us through to the other side. May we never cease to give thanks to the Lord who answers our cries for help.

3. God will be exalted: “All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O LORD, for they have heard the words of your mouth, and they shall sing of the ways of the LORD, for great is the glory of the LORD” (vv.4-5). Here David looks to a future time when all the rulers of the earth will acknowledge that God alone is King above all. Because of Christ, the King of Kings, we too can look forward to the day when “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11).

4. God sees the humble: “For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar” (v.6). We do not serve a God who is distant from his people; rather, we serve a God who has come near. In the Old Testament, the Lord dwelt among the people in a tabernacle. In the New Testament, God sent his Son, wrapped in human flesh, to live among us. Jesus came not to those who have no need of a Savior—not to the haughty—but he came to the lowly, those who are sick and in need of healing.

5. God rescues and redeems: “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me” (v. 7). David knew much trouble in his life and many of his psalms reflect that. Life in this fallen world is filled with trouble. We can rejoice and give thanks that we worship a God who rescues and redeems. He not only intervenes in our day to day troubles, but he also rescued us from our very worst fear: eternity apart from God. He sent his Son to redeem us from sin and bring us back to himself. Praise the Lord for his salvation!

6. God completes his work in us: “The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands” (v.8). God made promises to David, not the least of which was that his dynasty would continue on. In our own lives, we too can rejoice that God fulfills all his purposes for us. He will make us like Christ. He will finish the work he began in us. He will persevere us to the end. “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

Take the time to read Psalm 138 and give thanks to our great God today.

Why We Give Thanks

Thanksgiving. It's the season where we join together with friends and family around a table spread with food. We give thanks for the blessings in our life and recall all the good we've experienced during the year.

For some of us, it may be hard to think of things for which we are thankful. Life may not be going well. We may be in the midst of deep heartache, a season of suffering, or wandering through a dry desert—with no oasis in sight. 

Gratitude isn't only for those who have everything they've ever wanted and whose dreams have all come true. As believers, we are called to give thanks in all things and in all circumstances. If your heart wonders, "What could I possibly be thankful for this year?" consider this list:

Five Reasons to Give Thanks

1. God is Creator: We give thanks because God is our creator and sustainer. Each breath we take comes from him. Acts 17:25 says, "nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything." Giving thanks acknowledges that we are dust and that everything we have comes from God; we can do nothing apart from God's grace.

2. God deserves and is worthy of our thanks and praise: God is holy, righteous, and good. He is worthy of all honor and praise. "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" (Psalm 7:17). "Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom" (Psalm 145:3). No matter what is happening in our life, no matter the challenges we may face, there is always a reason to give thanks—because God deserves it. We can thank him simply for who he is. And when we don't give thanks, when we hold back because our life isn't turning out how we'd like it to, we actually rob God of the praise and glory he is due.

3. Scripture calls us to give thanks: Paul tells us to "rejoice in the Lord always" (Philippians 4:4) and to "give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Giving thanks to God is something believers are to do all the time, not just once a year in November and not just when life is going well. Rather, it ought to be the continuous posture of our heart. When life is challenging, we often wonder what God’s will is. The Bible tells us: give thanks.

4. Because of all God has done for us in Christ: Our greatest reason to give thanks is because we've been brought from death to life. God has shown his goodness and faithfulness to us through the death of his Son on our behalf. Because of Christ, we have been adopted into the family of God. The list of benefits and joys associated with having new life in Christ is endless. What we have in Christ is reason enough to give thanks. "Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe" (Hebrews 12:28).

5. It's what we were made for: We were made to worship, praise, and give thanks to God. The Westminster Confession says that the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. Giving thanks is one of the ways we bring God glory. It's also how we enjoy him. The beautiful thing about doing what we were created to do is that it gives us great joy. Knowing God and responding to his wonder and glory by returning thanks for who he is and what he has done, brings us deep and abiding joy. It's the kind of joy that anchors us during difficult times. Even when the sorrows of life cut into our life, we still have joy—a joy even in the midst of our tears because we are known by our Maker and Creator.

This Thanksgiving, there really is much for which to give thanks. From our very life to eternal life; from God's goodness to his steadfast love; from Christ's atonement to membership in the Body of Christ; from the wonder of knowing God to the deep joy of being known by him, the reasons are many. May giving thanks to our Lord be the joy and posture of our hearts this Thanksgiving and every day throughout the year.

Happy Thanksgiving!

As we celebrate Thanksgiving with friends and family, may we remember why we give thanks—because God is worthy of all our praise and worship.

As David sang in 1 Chronicles 16:

"Sing to the LORD, all the earth!
Tell of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples!
For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised,
and he is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and joy are in his place.

Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come before him!
Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth;
yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice,
and let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!”
Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy
before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth.
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!" (vv. 23-34)

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

In Christ,

Christina