Give Thanks to God, for Good is He

As Thanksgiving approaches, we are naturally more mindful about being thankful. If you're on Facebook, you've probably seen friends posting their daily thoughts of gratitude and thanks, whether they are Christ-followers or not. I love that people are thankful, and I hope that as believers, our hearts are full of thankfulness and praise each day of the year, not just around the holidays. We have much to thank God for! We should be overflowing with praise to our Lord - from the littlest things to the big things - every moment of the day.

Our God is good and His grace is evident! As we approach the holiday for giving thanks, let's look at this wonderful hymn from the Psalter (based on Psalm 136) and remind ourselves to praise Him.

Psalm 136 is that wonderful call and response psalm where every line is answered with "for His lovingkindness is everlasting." Whomever translated this hymn for the Psalter uses a similar mechanism, ending each line with either "His grace abideth ever" or "His mercy faileth never." What wonderful phrases to sing over and over!

God has made a wondrous world, and works wondrously in it. He is the only God, the sovereign Lord, and He is ruling from His throne.

God reigns over the nations, God sits on His holy throne. Psalm 47:8

The Bible is full of examples of God's sovereignty.

The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord. Proverbs 16:33

He commands the earth.

He sends forth His command to the earth; His word runs very swiftly. Psalm 147:15

He is in charge of the weather!

God thunders with His voice wondrously, doing great things which we cannot comprehend. For to the snow He says, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the downpour and the rain, ‘Be strong.’ He seals the hand of every man, that all men may know His work. Then the beast goes into its lair and remains in its den. Out of the south comes the storm, and out of the north the cold. From the breath of God ice is made,
and the expanse of the waters is frozen. Also with moisture He loads the thick cloud; He disperses the cloud of His lightning. It changes direction, turning around by His guidance, that it may do whatever He commands it on the face of the inhabited earth. Whether for correction, or for His world, or for lovingkindness, He causes it to happen. Job 37:5-13

God knows what we need - whether for correction, or for His world, or for lovingkindness, He causes it to happen. God has a plan! And we can rejoice that His mercy never fails.

He puts leaders in place.

It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding. Daniel 2:21

He does whatever His purpose is - and He has predestined it to occur.

For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur. Acts 4:27-28

We have a sovereign Lord, the only God. Because of this, we can give thanks - for our God is in control. We can have peace, even in these days with our world in upheaval, we can rest in the fact that victory belongs to our God and His purposes cannot and will not be thwarted.

His grace abideth ever, His mercy faileth never!

Give Thanks to God, for Good is He
Words from The Psalter

Give thanks to God, for good is He, His grace abideth ever;
To Him all praise and glory be, His mercy faileth never.
His wondrous works with praise record, His grace abideth ever;
The only God, the sovereign Lord, whose mercy faileth never.

His wisdom made the heavens be, His grace abideth ever;
He spread the earth above the sea, His mercy faileth never.
Praise Him whose sun doth bring the day, His grace abideth ever;
The moon and stars His might display, whose mercy faileth never.

He helped us in our deepest woe, His grace abideth ever;
He ransomed us from all our foes, His mercy faileth never.
Each creature’s need He doth supply, His grace abideth ever;
Give thanks to God, enthroned on high, whose mercy faileth never.