GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD - PSALM 136

God wants people to be filled with gratitude, as it is both fitting and beneficial for their lives and overall well-being. Expressing thankfulness nourishes the soul.

Psalm 136 opens and closes by commanding His people to give thanks to the Lord. This song exalts the Lord as the supreme giver, describing His wondrous character and listing three remarkable gifts He has graciously and generously bestowed upon them.

The Psalmist overflows with gratitude to the Lord for His magnificence (vv. 1-4).

“The Lord is good” highlights God's generous and gracious nature; He gives extraordinary gifts freely and is guided by unwavering kindness. God’s nature is defined by selfless giving which stems from His steadfast love.  God is incapable of selfishness or personal self-interest—it is not in His nature.

The Lord is the greatest giver, beyond compare. The Psalmist conveys this through the phrases “God of gods” and “Lord of Lords.”

Having a personal relationship with the one true living and awesome God should result in overflowing gratitude because it is only available to those who have become His children through faith in Jesus Christ as Savior—the work of God’s love, mercy, and grace (Ephesians 2:1-9).

The Psalmist overflows with gratitude to the Lord for His extraordinary gift of creation (vv. 5-9).

The Psalmist draws attention to the importance of the sun, moon, and stars in all of creation. These celestial bodies are considered God's gift to humanity because the stars serve as a testament to Jesus Christ.

In Romans 10, Paul states that sinners can only be justified through faith after hearing the Gospel message which is proclaimed by an individual God sends.  Paul then proposes a possible objection, “Surely they have never heard, have they?”.  Implied in this question is an accusation—“How can God be so loving to eternally condemn a sinner who has never heard about Jesus, His death for sins, shed blood, and resurrection?”  Paul’s answer is found in his quotation of Psalm 19:4, “Every man has heard because “the heavens declare the glory of God.”  The glory of God is Jesus and the good news of salvation.  The stars, specifically the constellations, testify of Jesus becoming a man, being born of a virgin, dying for our sins, being buried, and resurrected.  It also proclaims Jesus’ return as King.

The Psalmist overflows with gratitude to the Lord for His extraordinary gift of redemption (vv. 10-22).

The verses detail the Jewish people's slavery in Egypt, along with the suffering, grief, and loss they deeply experienced. God brought them deliverance and liberty. During Passover, they marked their doorposts with the blood of a sacrificed lamb. God led Israel out of bondage and helped them overcome their adversaries as they journeyed toward and eventually entered the promised land.

In the same way, we have been redeemed through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. His death, the shedding of His blood, and resurrection have liberated us from the bondage of sin and given us victory over it. As we travel through life, we are more than conquerors because of His love for us.

The Psalmist overflows with gratitude to the Lord for His extraordinary daily care (vv. 23-24).

We need the Lord’s continual help every day because life is full of challenges which we cannot overcome by our own wisdom and strength.  The Lord is more than able to care for us.  He has more than enough resources for His children.  In fact, God kindly extends His daily provisions to all men, even the ones who reject Him.

Psalm 136 encourages a focus on gratitude, which contributes to spiritual well-being. It emphasizes the importance of consistently expressing thanks for the Lord’s remarkable nature and generous acts, including creation, redemption, and ongoing providence in our lives.

On Thanksgiving Day, as we come together to a table overflowing with more food than we could ever eat and enoy the presence of family and friends, let us read Psalm 136 and verbally express gratitude.