11-27-2025

Good Morning All,

         Psalm 106:1; “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!

    This time of the year, many of us pause to give thanks. We may gather around a table and share a meal with family and friends as a way to say, “Thank you.” We may or may not have a specific person, place, or thing that we are thanking but we engage anyway. We gorge on a great meal, satisfied we are doing what we should, how we should. But is this all it is about or is there more?

    Our verse is one of many “thank” verses in the Book of Psalms. There are around 45-50 psalms of thanksgiving and around 45-50 psalms of lament. (A lament is a cry to God about some injustice we are experiencing.) We might be tempted to look at that and conclude that our life is half complaining to and half thanking God for what is going on in our life; but I think we should see it a little deeper than that. In both settings, whether lamenting or giving thanks, we are looking to God for all good things.

    In our laments, we experience pain or suffering and we usually think it is unjust. When this occurs, Scriptures invites us to turn to God, lay open our hearts, and cry out our pain. We do this because God and only God can fix our situation. Plus, God has promised to hear us and to act upon our behalf. So, our response, even in times of difficulty, pain, suffering, and injustice is to give thanks to God. Not because we are suffering but because God has promised to bring healing and restoration to us. So, in all things, we give thanks because God has promised healing.

    Thus, to a Christian, giving thanks is more of a spiritual discipline to help us always remember that all good things come from God and that bad events do not last forever. That our blessings are many because of a good, gracious, and merciful God who has chosen to love us in spite of our failures, foibles, and shortcomings. In spite of our sin, God has chosen to love us, to care for us, to protect us, and to deliver us.

    As we gather around the table, we are thankful to God our heavenly Father. We are thankful for the earthly things, health, wealth, family, and friends but we are especially thankful for God’s good and gracious hand that has redeemed us from death and the devil. God wants you in his kingdom, to be part of his holy family. His love for you is that deep. So, cling to God and his mercy. Give thanks that his strong arm does defend you and his loving heart comforts you in all your struggles.

Gracious Father, we give you thanks for the abundance which we receive from You. Help us to always remember that You are with us and that in You we have nothing to fear. Keep us ever focused upon Jesus, our rock and redemption. In the precious Name of Jesus, we pray. Amen!

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret