The Benefit of Being Thankful, According to the Psalms

Psalm 107:1 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.”

As a worship leader, I’ve quoted the first verse of that psalm countless times, encouraging congregations to give praise to God. You probably have too. In fact, I’m betting a number of folks reading this are going to use that scripture this weekend as we come out of Thanksgiving! 

Today though, I want to discuss the rest of Psalm 107. Verse 1 is such a good line that we often leave out the rest, but just like we wouldn’t sing only one line of a modern worship song (aside from maybe Will Reagan songs, Fight My Battles, or a handful of Hillsong bridges), we shouldn’t put all of our focus on one line of a psalm. We should try to grasp the rest of it. Verse 1 takes on a lot more meaning when put in context with the other of the 42 verses!

Don’t worry – I won’t break down all 43 verses in one blog post. But in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I thought it’d be interesting to take a broad look at what the psalmist gave thanks for and what he had to say about remaining thankful. 

So, what did the psalmist have to give thanks for? 

Simply put – the Lord’s redemption. Psalm 107 can be split into several parts, each of which talks about a person who has been redeemed: 

In verses 4 through 9 we read of the lost being found. 
In verses 10 through 16 we read of captives set free. 
Verses 17 through 22 talk about the sick being healed. 
Verses 23 through 32 speak to the Lord bringing peace to those in chaos. 
Verses 33 through 38 discuss the Lord’s blessing through the transformation of the earth. 
And verses 39 through 42 discuss the lowly being lifted.  

I love this psalm because of its striking resemblance to the gospels. Each of these sections can be found in the life of Jesus. I also love that you can find your story in this psalm. Whether it’s the Lord healing you, finding you when you were lost, or bringing peace to chaos, you can find yourself - your story of rescue. 

Over and over in psalm 107 we find that our God is the God of reversal. Our God is the God of renewal. Our God is the God of redemption! That is why the psalmist declares from the beginning, “Give thanks!” And why he urges “the redeemed of the Lord” in verse 2 to do the same. This psalm urges us to look at our lives and give thanks. It assumes that the story you find, if you do look, will be one you’re thankful for. 

What could be the most important part.

What the writer says last, in verse 43, I personally think could be the most important piece of the entire psalm. The psalmist writes, “those who are wise will take all this to heart; they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord.”

“Those who are wise” jumps off the page to me. Here’s what the psalmist is saying: Expressing thanks is an act of the wise. 

I don’t know about you, but when I think of a wise person, I typically think of someone who is well read, maybe someone who has gray hair and wears glasses, someone who has seen the world and experienced much. I don’t often think of someone who gives thanks. Obviously, that’s a positive trait, but it’s not one I associate with wisdom. The psalmist does though. The psalmist seemed to believe that looking back on the acts of God with thankfulness would bring understanding. 

The NKJV puts verse 43 like this, “whoever is wise will observe these things, and they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.” Those who are wise will observe the works of the Lord! Those who are wise will look back on the history of God’s faithfulness! Those who are wise give thanks!

As you gather with family and friends this week, as you reflect on the year behind you and as you celebrate Thanksgiving, I encourage you to consider the idea that thankfulness is an exercise of wisdom. I encourage you to be intentional about looking back and observing what the Lord has done. I believe, as the psalmist did, that you’ll begin to understand His lovingkindness and His ways.