Do you ever find yourself in a pit and don’t know how to get out? How do you respond when you’re in a fight with someone you love? That seems like the last place and time to gratefully acknowledge God’s presence, but that’s exactly what scripture calls us to do.
Psalm 136 reminds us of three important things that give us hope and confidence in the middle of whatever we face in life. We are told to give thanks to the Lord for twenty-six different reasons. These reasons represent the totality of our lives.
In Hebrew, the word hodu (הוֹד֣וּ, pronounced ho-du) is often translated, “give thanks.” A more complete translation would be “acknowledge gratefully” or “thankfully confess.” In worship, we confess and acknowledge God’s presence, God’s activity, and God’s salvation. And we do this with thankful hearts.
#1: Gratefully affirm who God is
First, we affirm who God is. We proclaim that God is good. He’s not just a little bit good like when we say “good boy” or “good dog.” God is supremely good. He is God over all gods, the Lord over all lords, and the High King of heaven.
#2: Thankfully acknowledge God’s power
Second, we confess that God alone does mighty miracles. The psalm rehearses the greatest miracles performed by God: creation, the Exodus, and entering the Promised Land. But it also remembers the very personal miracles of salvation, rescuing us from our enemies, and God’s daily provision of food, clothing, and shelter.
As Christians, we can extend these verses to include the greatest miracle, redemption at the cross, and God’s constant involvement in our lives through the work of the Holy Spirit.
#3: Remember gratefully God’s unfailing love
Finally, we acknowledge gratefully that God’s love never fails, never leaves us, and will never cease. In case we have short memories, the psalmist repeats this phrase 26 times: his faithful love endures forever. The English translations miss a nuance only obvious in Hebrew. The word for God’s faithful love is chesed which refers to God’s covenantal love. God has made a promise to never stop loving us. But he knows we have short memories, so every time we give him thanks for something he has done, he wants us to remember he loves us.
Living gratefully
So how does giving thanks help when you’re in a pit or a broken relationship? It helps us reframe what is true and align our hearts and minds with what God is already doing. Consider these thoughts:
When you’re in the middle of a pit, look to the one who descended into hell, conquered sin, defeated death, and rose again. His faithful love endures forever.
When you’re confused and don’t know which way to go, look to the one who promised to lead you and guide you. He never gets lost! His faithful love endures forever.
When your marriage feels on the rocks and you don’t know how to rebuild it, look to the one who restored our relationship to the Father. If he can restore a relationship that was eternally broken, he can certainly repair our marriages and make them stronger. His faithful love endures forever.
For more thoughts on how gratefulness leads to life, see this article I wrote.
CHALLENGE:
One of the most practical ways I’ve applied this psalm is to write my own psalm of thanksgiving.
For your gratitude challenge, I encourage you to think of 26 different reasons you have to thank God, both big things and personal things. Write them down and after each one remind yourself that His faithful love endures forever.
Here is my start, but I won’t give you all 26:
Give thanks to the one who is always there.
His faithful love endures forever.
Give thanks to the one who defeated sin.
His faithful love endures forever.
Give thanks to the one who made me who I am.
His faithful love endures forever.
Give thanks to the one who calls me son.
His faithful love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God who is never confused.
His faithful love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord who makes all things new.
His faithful love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord who raises the dead.
His faithful love endures forever.
Give thanks to the One who answers my prayers
His faithful love endures forever.
Give thanks to the King who knows my name.
His faithful love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord who provides for my needs.
His faithful love endures forever.
Give thanks to the one who never breaks his vows.
His faithful love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His faithful love endures forever.
PRAYER:
Lord, I thank you that you are good, supremely good. I praise you as the God of gods, Lord of lords, and the High King of heaven. Thank you for noticing me in my lowly estate and saving me from all my enemies. Thank you for loving me with a love that you will never withdraw or withhold. Fill my heart with gratefulness in spite of my circumstances. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.