Giving Thanks to God
Scripture tells us to give thanks to God, but how do we do this when the hard days outnumber the easy days, when we’re struggling to trust God, or when we just can’t see his faithfulness? Thankfully, Scripture also supplies us with the truth that compels our songs of thanks. God’s Word tells us who God is, and that is a God who is always good, always sovereign, and always faithful. This God can be trusted, even when our circumstances are not quite what we hoped. Because of who he is, we always have reason to give thanks.
In this week’s episode we’re looking at the thanksgiving psalms, which are those psalms that express gratitude to God for who he is or what he has done. These psalms remind us of God’s character, give us language for our praise, and help us to give thanks to God, even if our current season is not what we hoped. We pray this episode encourages you to look to God in faith and to give thanks to God for who he is, how he has saved you, and what he has accomplished in Christ!
THANKSGIVING PSALMS
The truth about God does not become less true because of our failure to believe it. God is no less worthy of our trust when we struggle to trust him. He is no less faithful when have to fight to see his faithfulness.
God’s character is constant and his very name, Yahweh – I am that I am – proclaims his existence, his true and faithful nature, and his fulfillment of his promises.
Even when our lives are desolate and we can’t find a single thing to be thankful for…we can look to Christ and see God’s most wondrous work of all—coming near to his people through his Son and offering a way for sinners to be near to him forever.
In the midst of the various weights we carry through this life: the longing, the waiting, the hurting… we can so easily feel forgotten by God. Our disappointment can tempt us to think God is distant or uncaring or withholding good from us.
God is always kind, always good, and always faithful to work for our good and his glory. When we place our hope in him, we will never be disappointed (Rom. 5:3-5).
Our hope is in a God who is good – not ‘good’ in the sense that he will fulfill all our longings or always keep us from harm, but rather ‘good’ in the sense that he will use all things to refine us, to draw us close, and to make us more into his image.
God is ‘good’ in the sense that he meets our deepest longing in himself.
David knew that his deepest longing would be met only in God. We too can find comfort knowing that even if the things we long for in this world never come to pass, if our hope is in the risen Christ, we will never have reason to despair. Even if our prayers are never answered, we can know that more precious than our answered prayers is our refined faith that, by God’s grace and strength, will endure.
May you remember God’s goodness and faithfulness, namely through Christ’s ultimate act of love and kindness to us. May knowing God propel you to trust him deeply even in the struggles and unknowns of life. And may both the victories and the valleys of life compel you to look to him, to trust in him, and to cry out to him in prayer.
RESOURCES
In the Lord I Take Refuge: 150 Daily Devotions Through the Psalms
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
How do you usher your heart toward prayer and thankfulness when it’s hard?
What is something—right now in this very moment—that you can thank God for? The breath in your lungs? The clothes on your body? Less pain today than you had yesterday? Someone in your local church? This very opportunity to reflect on his Word? Your salvation in Christ?
What do you run to in the midst of distress? How quick are you to turn to the Lord in prayer?
Do you find it hard to trust the Lord during a season of waiting? How does remembering his character help you place your hope in him while you wait?
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IMPORTANT NOTE
Journeywomen interviews are intended to serve as a springboard for continued study in the context of your local church. While we carefully select guests each week, interviews do not imply Journeywomen's endorsement of all writings and positions of the interviewee or any other resources mentioned.
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