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Monday, August 13, 2012

Giving thanks


Psalm 107
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say this—
    those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
those he gathered from the lands,
    from east and west, from north and south.
Some wandered in desert wastelands,
    finding no way to a city where they could settle.
They were hungry and thirsty,
    and their lives ebbed away.
Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he delivered them from their distress.
He led them by a straight way
    to a city where they could settle.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
    and his wonderful deeds for men,
for he satisfies the thirsty
    and fills the hungry with good things. 

Something we need to say more is the tiny phrase, "thank you."  The psalmist in this psalm wants everyone to know that God is good, and his unlimited love endures forever.  The admonition continues with his encouragement for those who have been redeemed, saying we need to speak out about it. Tell others that the Lord has saved you. 

In biblical times, that salvation could be from enemies, as the verse suggests, but it boldly continues to teach us that God is a wonderful and loving Father, who gathers those who are away from him, to himself. The psalm is further a testimony of God's help and guidance for those who need him. He is their place of safety, their source for protection.

I can almost get so wrapped up in the description of all that God has done and continues to do for us, that I overlook the admonition to give him thanks and share the story of my spiritual journey with those  I meet.   Read it again, "Has the Lord redeemed you?  Then speak out!" I tremble when I think of our tendency of not thanking God as we should, and wonder if it is because we have taken our redemption so casually that we don't tell others about it. 

Today, "Give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things."

<ronbwriting@yahoo.com>

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