What are you thankful for?
Thanksgiving
Psalm 136
1 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures for ever.
2 O give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures for ever.
3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures for ever;
4 who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures for ever;
5 who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures for ever;
6 who spread out the earth on the waters, or his steadfast love endures for ever;…
11 and brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures for ever;
12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures for ever;
13 who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures for ever;
14 and made Israel pass through the midst of it, for his steadfast love endures for ever;
16 who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures for ever;
17 who struck down great kings, for his steadfast love endures for ever;…
23 It is he who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures for ever;
24 and rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures for ever;
25 who gives food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures for ever.
26 O give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures for ever.
It would be easy to write a psalm like this one, half the psalm is already written for us with the repeated line “For God’s steadfast love endures for ever.”
The opening 3 verses and the closing one (vs. 26) make clear the purpose of the psalm is thanksgiving to God. After thanks to God as God of gods and Lord of lords – the psalm begins to get specific. Being thankful in general is easy – not involving very much of us, just words we say. Being specific requires attention and engagement – what are we thankful for?
The first thing on the list is God’s work of creation – doing great wonders, making the creation, the heavens and the earth. This is safe ground for thankfulness.
Second thing on the list is God saving Israel from slavery in Egypt, rescuing them from danger, acting in very specific ways to bring them through the Red Sea. Israel did much better than we do at remembering that God’s actions in the past – even in the distant past are things to be thankful for today. That our ancestors crossed the Atlantic safely, survived famine and plagues, were guided to a place where they could settle down. God’s actions in the past make our life possible today.
Third thing on the list is God defeating enemies. And here we get nervous. Can we be thankful that enemies were brought to their knees and humbled? The psalm would say, “Yes.” That those who acted to bring destruction and despair will find themselves held accountable for their actions – this is something to be thankful for. We do so humbly because we are not wise enough to determine who should be brought to their knees and who should not be so confronted. But we can trust that God knows and be thankful that God is wise enough to act justly.
PRAYER:
Lord God, you are the Lord of all lords, the Ruler over all rulers. We thank you for the creation. We rejoice that in the past you saved and guided our people through their lives. We give thanks that you are defeating your enemies and bringing justice to the earth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.