Authentic Prayer: Thanking
Psalm 107
Too often when we read God’s Word, we read right through statements that should leave us absolutely stunned. For example, in I Thessalonians 5:18 Paul says “in everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you.” That is stunning.
Because -- how is that possible? How can we always feel and express thankfulness to God? There’s unemployment. Health issues. Parenting problems. Work stress. We all have difficulties which make thankfulness feel impossible.
But God not only tells us that His will is that we always give thanks, He also tells us how we can do that. And one passage which helps us in this is Psalm 107. If you need a Bible, go ahead and raise your hand and we’ll bring a Bible to you. Psalm 107 is on page 506 in the Bibles we are passing out. Psalm 107 is a psalm calling God’s people to give thanks to God.
Let’s start with v.1 --
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!
So the author of this psalm is calling us to give thanks to the Lord. And he immediately tells us why we should give thanks to God. Let’s focus on that. Why should we give thanks to God?
He gives us two reasons. The first is because He is good -- because He’s done amazing good things for us. Think about it: God has created us. He’s given you life, and a body that does incredible things. And even though we’ve all turned from Him, He’s sent Jesus to pay for all of our sins. And if you’ve been saved, it’s because while you were still in rebellion against Him he set His love on you and changed your heart so you trust Him. And as a result, you now have Him as your Father who satisfies you with His presence, and provides for you, guides, you, delivers you. So one reason we thank God is because He is good.
But that’s not enough. To thank someone, it’s not enough that they do good for you. Think about it like this. When your boss gives you your paycheck, that’s something good – right? But how many of you thank your boss for your paycheck? You don’t – because while the paycheck is good, he owed it to you. You deserved it. And you don’t thank people for giving you what you deserve.
Now if you were short on money and needed your paycheck a week early to pay your bills, and he gave you your paycheck early, then you would thank him, because now it’s not only something good, it’s also something he didn’t owe to you – he did it graciously, mercifully.
And that’s the second reason the psalmist gives us for thanking God – right there in v.1: it’s because of His steadfast love which endures forever. This word “steadfast love” is one of the most common words in the Hebrew Old Testament. It’s the word “hesed,” which is used 245 times in the Old Testament, and refers to actions that are merciful, gracious, absolutely undeserved by the one receiving them.
So the reason you and I should give thanks to the Lord is because He’s good – He’s done amazing good for us – and because of His steadfast love – because this amazing good is completely undeserved. We should thank God because of His astonishing, undeserved goodness.
And in this psalm the author wants God’s people to focus on one specific goodness. To see this, let’s ask -- what undeserved goodness does the psalmist have in mind? Look at vv.2-3 –
Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.
He’s talking about how God brought Israel back from exile. Here’s what happened: God had chosen Israel out of all the nations on the earth to be a people through whom He could show His goodness – so all the nations would come to trust and worship God.
And God had told Israel that if she would trust Him, then He would pour His goodness out on her – satisfying their hearts in Himself, providing a wonderful land and harvest and children and everything they needed. But God also warned them that if they did not trust Him, if they turned from Him and worshiped other so-called gods, then God would destroy them.
So what did Israel do? They rebelled against God, and worshiped other so-called gods. But God was patient. He sent prophets to warn them, that that if Israel would not return to God, then God would send Babylon who would destroy Israel – killing many of them, dispersing them into other countries, taking many away as slaves. But Israel laughed at the prophets, beat the prophets, imprisoned the prophets – and kept rebelling against God.
So in 600 B.C. God sent Babylon who destroyed Jerusalem, scattered Israel to the nations and took many away as slaves. This lasted for 70 years. But then the people repented and cried out to God. And what did God do? An astonishing, undeserved goodness. God redeemed them, gathered them from all the nations and from Babylon and brought them back to the Promised Land.
And in this psalm the author urges Israel to thank God for this astonishing, undeserved goodness. So how does he do this? How does the author stir them to give thanks to God? Now this will be helpful for us to see, because it will also be the way that we can stir ourselves to give thanks to God. What can you do when you are not feeling thankful? What can you do when you are feeling like Eeyore, grumbling, complaining? What can you do?
The answer is in the rest of the psalm. Starting in v.4, and going all the way to v.42, the author goes into more detail about God’s astonishing, undeserved goodness in bringing them back from exile. But while vv.4-42 describe how God delivered Israel from exile, that’s not all they do.
To see what else they do, look at the last verse in the psalm, v.43 –
Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD.
Here the psalmist addresses not just those who had experienced the exile – but everyone who will ever read this psalm who is wise. If we are wise, what will we do? We will attend to these things – we will consider the steadfast love of the Lord in the verses he’s just written. Now why should we consider the steadfast love of the Lord in redeeming Israel from exile?
Here’s Derek Kidner’s answer – which I think it right on target:
It is himself that the reader is to recognize in this picture of plight and salvation, and it is the steadfastness of God that he is now to praise with new insight. (Psalms 73-150 p.387)
The author wrote this description so it not only describes God’s astonishing, undeserved goodness in redeeming Israel from exile and bringing them to the Promised Land – but it also describes God’s astonishing, undeserved goodness in redeeming all of us from sin and bringing us to Himself.
So let’s focus on vv.4-42 with this question – How has Israel, and each of us, experienced God’s undeserved goodness? And here’s what I’m praying will happen. Emotionally, we’re probably all over the map. Some of you are fearful. Others are frustrated. Others are grumbling. Others are thankful. And all of us could be more thankful to God for His astonishing goodness.
So I’m praying that Jesus will come and change our hearts as we go through the five sections in vv.4-42 – and that thankfulness to God will arise in our hearts for what He has done, is doing, and will do in us through Jesus. So let’s dig in:
First, we were lost, hungry, and thirsty, but when we called upon God, He met our every need. You can see that in vv.4-9 – and remember that this is not just a description of what God did for Israel, this describes what God has done for all of us who are trusting Jesus --
4 Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in; [That’s Israel lost and wandering because of her sin – and that’s you and me lost and wandering because of our sin.]
5 hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them [That was true for Israel because she was exiled from the Promised Land, but all of us were hungry for meaning, purpose, satisfaction].
6 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. [Astonishing mercy!]
7 He led them by a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in. [He led them back from the nations to the Promised Land. And through Jesus He will lead us through this world until we reach the new heavens and new earth – where we will dwell with God and His people forever.]
8 Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!
9 For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.
Second, we were prisoners of sin, but when we called upon God, He delivered us. You can see that in vv.10-16 --
10 Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons,
11 for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High.
12 So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor; they fell down, with none to help. [That’s Israel: because she rebelled against God’s Words, many were taken away to Babylon in chains with no one to help them. But that’s also all of us: because we rebelled against God’s Word, we were prisoners under sin’s guilt and power, with no one to help us.]
13 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. [Free, merciful goodness!]
14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart. [That’s Israel being freed from her chains so she can return to the Promised Land. And that’s us being freed from sin’s guilt and sin’s power, through Jesus, so we can return to God.]
15 Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!
16 For he shatters the doors of bronze and cuts in two the bars of iron.
Third, when we compounded our problems with more sin, and called upon God, He again saved us. You can see that in vv.17-22.
17 Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction;
18 they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. [That’s Israel: even after God sent them into exile, they turned back to sin during their time in exile, and as a result suffered even more than they had to. This is also true of us – even after being saved – we’ve turned back to sin, and have suffered as a result.]
19 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.
20 He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction. [When we fall back into sin, with all the consequences, and turn back and trust Jesus, God will send us His Word, heal us, and deliver us from destruction. Undeserved goodness!]
21 Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!
22 And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!
Fourth, we face problems beyond our abilities, but when we call upon God, He rescues us. This section heads in a different direction. The issue is not our sinfulness, but it’s our limitations. We face circumstances beyond our control, but every time we call upon God – He delivers us. You can see that in vv.23-32 --
23 Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; [During the exile some of the Israelites worked on boats in the ocean.]
24 they saw the deeds of the LORD, his wondrous works in the deep.
25 For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea.
26 They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight;
27 they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits' end. [So this is a picture of Israelite sailors facing circumstances beyond their control. And every day we face circumstances beyond our control. But look at what happens:]
28 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. [Astonishing, undeserved goodness!]
29 He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.
30 Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. [Time after time after time, when we face circumstances beyond our control, and we cry out to God, He calms the wind and waves and brings us to our desired haven.]
31 Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!
32 Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
Last, the God who punishes sin delivers us from sin’s punishment, and from every trial. First: God punishes sin. This is what He did to Israel in the exile, and it’s what we all face because of our sin -- vv.33-34 --
33 He turns rivers into a desert, springs of water into thirsty ground,
34 a fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the evil of its inhabitants.
But – God delivered Israel from her exile, and through Jesus God delivers us from this punishment – vv.35-38 --
35 He turns a desert into pools of water, a parched land into springs of water.
36 And there he lets the hungry dwell, and they establish a city to live in;
37 they sow fields and plant vineyards and get a fruitful yield.
38 By his blessing they multiply greatly, and he does not let their livestock diminish.
And – even though in this life we face trials, God sustains us, and ultimately delivers us from them all – vv.39-42 --
39 When they are diminished and brought low through oppression, evil, and sorrow,
40 he pours contempt on princes and makes them [evil princes] wander in trackless wastes;
41 but he raises up the needy out of affliction and makes their families like flocks.
42 The upright see it and are glad, and all wickedness shuts its mouth.
There it is. That’s how we have experienced God’s astonishing mercies. So -- how can we always give thanks to God? The answer is in v.43 –
Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD.
The reason we can always give thanks to God is because in Christ we have received breathtaking mercy from God. And when we stop and consider what we have received – we will see that God’s astonishing goodness has been and is pouring out upon us – and when we see that we will thank Him.
Now what about those times when you are not feeling that? Let me be blunt. Any time you are not feeling mostly thankfulness in your heart towards God it’s because you’re lifted something else up in your heart as more important than God. If through the Cross you have received a relationship with the living God – but your heart is focused on complaining about something else – then the lack of that something else is more important to you than God.
That’s just the truth. And that’s a very dangerous place to be spiritually.
But I’ve got good news. Just like we’ve read, if you will cry to the Lord in your trouble, because of Jesus he will again pour His astonishing goodness upon you.
I experienced this Friday afternoon. I was grumbling. Complaining. Not feeling thankful to God. And as I looked at my heart, I saw the reason: there were things I had lifted up in my heart as more important than God – things that were not going as I hoped they would. Which was why I was grumbling and complaining.
So I cried to the Lord to change my heart. I repented for lifting up other things as more important than Him. And then I obeyed v.43. I thought about how I was forgiven for all of my sins and how I would never face punishment from a holy, just God. I thought about how I had the joy of beholding Jesus in His glory and love and goodness forever and ever. I thought about how no matter how things looked -- God was always rejoicing over me to do me good.
As I cried out to the Lord, He forgave me. He changed my heart. Slowly I felt thankfulness rise until what I was feeling was mostly thankfulness to God for His astonishing mercies to me.
That’s what the psalmist calls us to in v.43 --
Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD.
That’s how we can always give thanks.