A Day of Thanks

When I was growing up I really didn’t have any interest in reading the Psalms. I was more interested in reading the historical sections of the Bible.

The stories of Jacob, Joseph, and Judah. Of the exploits of King David. The judges and how they ruled over Israel. The birth of Jesus and his life. And the history of the church recounted in Acts.

Stories like these compelled me to return to them again and again. What use did I have for the Psalms when we had our own songs to sing? Hymns and various modern songs.

But, when I became older I started to appreciate just how important they are. To be fair that didn’t happen until I started to go to seminary and took a class on the Psalms.

I had no expectations of it other than a passing interest in how theology and music correlated together. The use of music to convey theological thought was my main focus.

To my surprise, I found that the Psalms were a treasure chest of human emotion. I used to think that when praying to God one had to be stately and dignified. One had to use precise language such as not to offend God.

After all, one has to be careful in how one addresses a king!

Imagine my surprise, and sometimes even horror to find some instances where the Psalmist is practically shouting in anger at God. Basically asking God what God was thinking!

There were words in there to give voice to extreme pain that one finds it hard to come up with the words to say. Yet in the Psalms it is there laid out for us.

There are Psalms in there wishing calamity and the downfall of one’s enemies. In my mind as Christian I thought that we weren’t supposed to do that.

We were only to have thoughts of love in our hearts towards our fellows.

Yet, through the Psalms, God is giving us a way to recognize our pain, our anger, or our joy.

Not to suppress it but to acknowledge it. To find comfort that our pain and suffering has been seen. That God does not want us to be unfeeling mindless machines but to allow us the space to be human.

That we are not wrong for giving voice to our feelings. Not to say to follow through with certain actions, but acknowledging as humans it is ok to feel this.

As I said before, not all of the Psalms are of pain and suffering, or anger.

This Psalms clearly is one focused on praise and thanksgiving.

It is filled with seven imperatives. Just in case, because I didn’t know this until I took another language so to remind you, an imperative is a command.

Which this passage does a good job of providing us with lots of examples.

Make a joyful noise, Serve the LORD...

Come into his presence...

Know that the LORD, he is God

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, his courts with praise, Give thanks to him; bless his name.

Note, this changes the passage a bit. Instead of a group of people singing together joyously, as it very well is, it is also a reminder of a command that the people are carrying out together as a community.

Calling out, singing to one another as they make a joyful procession into the temple.

Make a joyful noise

Serve the Lord,

Come into his presence...

On and on it goes in a powerful celebratory song.

Can you imagine on Sunday morning throwing open the doors and singing and you progress into the sanctuary this song of praise. A crowd of believers singing with one voice their praises to God.

Now imagine the temple of God, and the Israelites with the whole multitude in a procession of praise and thanksgiving.

After setting up that scene of worship at the temple I have to confess to you that I purposefully misled you. A commentary actually puts this passage as written during the time when the Israelites were exiled into captivity and the temple destroyed.

This was not sung when the people were there present with the temple in all of her glory. When Israel was strong and Jewish kings ruled.

This was when the kingdom had been scattered and her people moved away.

When they lived in a foreign land and their fates controlled by others.

Yet, instead of being sorrowful they are praising God. This is a song of hope and not of despair.

Another commentary states that the fourth imperative found in verse 3, due to it’s placement in the middle, is the central imperative.

Know that the LORD

The original Hebrew makes it to be, not so much knowing, but acknowledging. To realize it, to be aware of it.

And what are we to be aware of?

That the LORD, he is God.

You might already know this, but take a look at this passage sometime. The word lord is spelled all capitalized. Which means the word is not just for a lord, but as the only name that God has personally given. The name of YHWH.

It is not just saying to be aware that our lord God is God, but The God. The creator and sustainer of all. The only one who has being in of himself. He does not rely on something else to sustain him, or to create him.

As the Psalms states, he is God.

Realize this.

The Psalms goes on to remind us that it is this same God who has made us, and we are his.

We are his people, and the cherished sheep of his pasture..

We are not made by an accident. Some careless thought.

We are made with intention and purpose.

We are not a people with no god but we are the LORD’s!

The Israelites did not need to despair because, although the throne in Jerusalem was empty. Yet it was God who was ruling.

We don’t have to look far to see for ourselves all the trouble that is going on in the world around us.

Hurricanes, floods, fires, storms, hunger, fear of the future. Politics and discord. Polarization and hate.

Yet in the midst of this we are reminded through the Psalms that we need not despair. That we need not to wait for something good to happen to offer our praise and thanksgiving.

Our God reigns. The same God who created the world, who brought the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt and to their promised land. Who has kept his people throughout the centuries.

Who brought his church throughout the ages and has preserved her. Despite wars and persecution, yet she has continued on.

Remember who God is. What God has done for you.

When the world reminds you of everything that is wrong that is when it is time to cling to God. To remember instead of what God has done. His goodness and his love.

In remembering these things I wonder when the last time it was when the church blessed God.

I have seen church signs saying “God bless America”, but I don’t ever remember a sign or a slogan were God’s people are encouraged to be the ones blessing God.

I wonder what it would mean for the church to acknowledge God and to bless God?

To instead of asking for blessings that the church will turn and offer blessings to God?

To offer, not just prayers for our nation, but also thanksgiving for what God has done for us?

To sing in praise and to lift our voices together in songs of celebration in the midst of the pain and sadness around us.

To offer God an offering of praise when the enemy seems to have taken away so much from us.

But, maybe there has been so much pain and suffering done. Maybe you can’t find the words to speak. Maybe you feel overwhelmed by what has happened or is happening.

And that is ok! As I said in the beginning, just as there are songs of praise there are songs for weeping and acknowledging pain.

If you can’t find the words maybe let the Scriptures speak for you.

If that doesn’t work, remember we have the Holy Spirit who makes intercession for us. With groanings and with our voiceless pain.

I ask, that whether praising God in your hearts and actions, or whether unable to speak because of pain and sorrow. That you take the time with me to offer it all onto God.

I ask you to participate in a secondary offering with me.

That we take a minute or two to acknowledge what God has done. Or to pray in your hearts for the hurts that are weighing you down.

Whatever the Spirit leads you to pray I ask that we take a moment for that.

Just as we have done for the offering. I will then end with a prayer to offer our prayers, our praises, and our blessings to God.

Closing benediction:

May the strength of God sustain us; may the power of God preserve us; may the hands of God protect us; may the way of God direct us; may the love of God go with us this day (night) and forever. Amen.