O Give Thanks unto the Lord!

Psalm 107:1 – “O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”

Only an arrogant individual will purposely neglect to give the Lord thanks.  Every breath you breathe comes from God Almighty.  Yet there are those who will use the Lord’s air that fills their lungs to curse His holy name.  How low!  How proud!  How coldhearted!  How arrogant!  How disgusting!  I do not know of a sin more gross than neglecting to give the Lord thanks for His many blessings.  Every person reading this has something to thank God for; and most of us have very much to thank Him for.

In Romans 1, Paul speaks of the heathen who commit sins that even beasts of the field know better than to commit.  When reading this chapter, one may wonder, “How does anyone sink so low?”  Paul tells us clearly how a civilized people sink lower than the beasts of the field:

Romans 1:21 – “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, NEITHER WERE THANKFUL; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”

Paul clearly makes a connection between the grossest sins committable and neglecting to be thankful.  If you are truly thankful toward God, you acknowledge that God Almighty is high above you and your philosophies and ideas.  Being thankful toward God requires submission to the mercies of God.  You realize that God is good in spite of you, not because of you.

I want to use Psalm 107 as my text, and give the reader four things for which I am thankful.

I am Thankful for What God HAS DONE

Psalm 107:2 – “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy.”

“Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!”  What a privilege it is to be redeemed from the hand of the enemy!  I am thankful, first, for what God has done.  He redeemed me!  He paid for me with His own blood! 

I have often said that my salvation is as real to me as any possession I have.  I have given my testimony on this blog, so I’ll not expound much here.  But I will mention that nothing is more real to me than my salvation.

At six years of age, I went to a Vacation Bible School at a church located behind my house.  One of the men went from classroom to classroom trying to get children to say the “sinner’s prayer.”  I said that prayer.  However, I did not realize what I was doing.  I was told I was saved, but at that time, I had no genuine salvation experience.  The pastor of that church, who meant well, baptized me a few months later (January 22, 1989).  When a person was baptized in that church, they became a member of the church.  So, at six years of age, I repeated a prayer, got baptized in water, and joined a Baptist church.  But I was lost as I could be!  I was without Christ. 

A few years later, I went to a different Baptist church.  I sat on the front row every service.  I distinctly remember going home after the services, sitting in my room, and something deep inside me telling me I needed to be saved!  That “something” was the Holy Ghost.  The Spirit of God was dealing with me, showing me that I needed to trust Jesus Christ to save me completely.  I would sit in my bedroom, and think about how I needed to be saved.  Then, I would turn it off, saying to myself, “You’ve already said the prayer.  You’re all right.”  Then, I’d forget about it…until the next service.  This went on for a few weeks.  Finally, on March 13, 1994, on a Sunday morning, after the pastor preached a message on the subject of salvation, I went to the front.  I told the pastor I needed to be saved.  We knelt down, and there I placed all my faith in Jesus Christ and was saved by the grace of God!  I am thankful for what God HAS DONE! 

God has done more for me than just bestowing upon me spiritual blessings.  I am thankful for what God has done for me materially.  I am thankful for my health.  I know people younger than I am who have diabetes.  I know people younger than I am who have had heart surgeries.  I am thankful for my health!  I am thankful to God that when I open my eyes, I can see.  Not everyone can say that.  I thank God that I can hear, for that is not the case with everyone!  I thank God every time a bill is due, I have the money to pay it!  Let us not take anything for granted, but “in everything give thanks!” 

I am Thankful for What God Could’ve Done, but DIDN’T DO

Psalm 107:10-13 – “Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron; Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High: Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help. Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses.”

The psalmist, in the above verses, tell us about a people who sat in darkness, being bound in affliction and iron.  Why are they bound?  BECAUSE THEY REBELLED AGAINST THE WORDS OF GOD!  They were in bondage because of what THEY did!  They “made their bed rough;” now they have to “lie in it,” as the old-timers say.  But notice this – even though they were afflicted because of their own doings, notice what happened.  When they cried unto the Lord, what did the Lord do?  Did He say, “I’m sorry, you’re in bondage because of your own sins”?  No!  When they cried unto the Lord, He saved them out of their distresses!  The Lord could have left these people in their bondage and affliction, and He would have been just in doing so!  But He didn’t!

Likewise, the Lord could have left me in my sins.  BUT HE DIDN’T!  He could have let me go my own way and end up in hell!  Surely, that’s what I deserve!  But He did not do what He rightfully could have done!

I am Thankful for What God CANNOT DO

Psalm 107:20 – “He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.”

“He sent His word!”  When I read this phrase, I am reminded that there is something that God Almighty cannot do! 

Titus 1:1, 2 – “Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; In hope of eternal life, which God, that CANNOT LIE, promised before the world began.”

Friend, God CANNOT lie.  And I thank Him for this truth!  I do not have to worry about what God said not coming to pass.  If God said it, it absolutely will happen just like God said it would.  God says that He formed man with His own hands out of the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7).  The atheistic professor says that humans evolved from some non-existent ape-like “missing link.”  Who is the liar in this case?  The atheistic professor is the liar, for God Almighty CANNOT LIE!  God said that marriage is between a MAN and HIS WIFE (Genesis 2:24).  When a liberal says that marriage can also be between a man and his husband; or between a woman and her wife; tell me who the liar is.  It is not God, for God CANNOT LIE!  God said that He knows the baby in the womb personally (Jeremiah 1:5).  When an abortion doctor says that removing a baby from the womb is no different than removing a gallbladder, who do you suppose the liar is?  It is not God, for He CANNOT LIE! 

I am thankful for what God cannot do!  I am thankful that, in a world of change, there is something that is consistent!  What God says will never change!

I am Thankful for What God WILL DO

Psalm 107:29 – “He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.”

“He maketh the storm a calm.”  As sure as you are reading this post, you will face storms in this life.  You have already faced storms, and there will be more.  You will have physical ailments.  You will be betrayed by friends.  You will have financial troubles.  Your marriage will be tried and tested.  Relationships with others will be strained.  I’m not trying to be dismal; I’m trying to be honest.  Storms will come.  They always have, and they always will.  Hard times will come your way.  Get ready for it. 

But know this: “He maketh the storm a calm.”  Even though there are storms that have not yet come my way, I know that God will bring me through them, as He always has.  He will calm the storm!  He may let the storm rage for a while before He calms it, but HE WILL calm the storm.  “He maketh the storm a calm.”  I am thankful for what God WILL DO!

Make It as Sure as Ye Can

Matthew 27:65 - "Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.

In the above text, Jesus has died. He has been taken off the cross and has been buried. His enemies remember what He said while He was living (though His own disciples did not) - "After three days I will rise again." His enemies, bearing this in mind, went to Pilate, the governor, to ask for a band of soldiers to guard the tomb. "This man's disciples may come and steal his body away," they claimed. So, Pilate gave them a band of soldiers with this admonition - "Make it as sure as ye can." It seems that Pilate knew that the band of soldiers sent to guard the corpse of Christ was pathetic and pitiful. But, he granted the request of Christ's enemies and told them, "Do the best you can."

Unbelievers today are still trying to deny the resurrection of Jesus Christ, discredit the Bible, and hinder the work of God Almighty Himself. Although their attempts are skimpy, they are "making it as sure as they can." It's not very sure. It won't hold up on the Day of Judgment. It won't stop God from doing what He will do. Yet, they continue to get their best forces together to destroy faith in Jesus Christ. However, when any man fights against God, this man's forces look like Iraqi's skimpy army going against the massive United States military. Let's look at a few attempts of the wicked to destroy Christ and all that pertains to Him, and we'll see how pathetic they are.

Stephen Hawking's Recent Stupidity
British Professor Stephen Hawking, one of Britain's most noted professor, was quoted recently giving his explanations on the origins of the universe. Let me give an EXACT QUOTE - "Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing." FROM NOTHING! This man believes that the universe was created BY ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! I don't who you are - that's STUPID! Don't laugh, though. This is a quote from the atheists' best! This is a prominent professor of theirs! This is not one of their uneducated paupers on the streets of downtown Detroit; this is the VERY BEST THEY HAVE TO OFFER! And, rather than believing in a Creator who created the universe with nothing, for a specific purpose, they would rather believe that the massive amount of matter and order in the universe came from nothing! How pitiful!

Evolution
NPR (National Public Radio) has been trying to figure out recently how humans became the dominant species. Again, instead of believing in an intelligent Being who created the world with a divine plan, they believe that over a period of BILLIONS OF YEARS, the human race evolved from primates. That is the most laughable theory I have ever heard. Evolution is philosophy, not science. It is not science because it has NEVER BEEN OBSERVED. No species has even been witnessed to evolve into another. No organism has ever been witnessed to reproduce another organism of a different species. IF IT HAS NOT BEEN OBSERVED, IT IS NOT SCIENCE. As laughable as it is, they are "making it as sure as they can." It's weak, but it's the best they have.

Their Pitiful Defenses Won't Change a Thing!
In Romans 3:3, 4 - "For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid. Yea, let God be true, and every man a liar."

Here, Paul asks the question, "What if some did not believe?" Then he asks, "Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?" His answer - God forbid! Absolutely not! Friend, you may choose to reject everything the Bible proclaims - but know this - your unbelief won't change a thing! You don't believe in God? It won't pull Him off the throne! You don't believe in hell? Not believing in hell won't put out the flames. You don't believe in a Day of Judgment? You'll reject it until you stand before God. You don't believe that Jesus Christ is coming again? It won't keep Him from coming. Go ahead - make it as sure as you can! Give it your best shot! That's what the band of soldiers did. They tried to keep Christ from coming out of the tomb. But out He came, and on the ground as dead men is where they were! Your stupid anti-God reasoning won't keep God from doing what God is going to do!