It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord

Introduction:

Review of Psalm 91

Psalm of the Sabbath, reminder that the Sabath was intended to be a delight rather than a burden.

Revelation 1:10 (KJV 1900)

10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

Contrast is seen in the fleeting, temporary flourishing of the wicked and the eternal flourish of those who have been made righteous. Underling flourish in v.7, 12-14

Slide:

It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord because of who He is, who He overcomes, and how He has caused us to flourish.

It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord because of who He is, v.1-5

It is good to sing praise to the LORD, the Most High

Psalm 92:1 (KJV 1900)

1 It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, And to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:

“True worship never needs to be compelled. It is the natural response to seeing Something altogether glorious.”

Psalm 147:1 (KJV 1900)

1 Praise ye the Lord: For it is good to sing praises unto our God; For it is pleasant; and praise is comely.

Psalm 33:1 (KJV 1900)

1 Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: For praise is comely for the upright. (looks good on us)

How is it good?

“It is good ethically, for it is the Lord’s right; it is good emotionally, for it is pleasant to the heart; it is good practically, for it leads others to render the same homage.” - Spurgeon

It is good because He is the most high. v.1

His worthy ways of praise appear to us all the day long. Psalm 92:2 “2 To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, And thy faithfulness every night,”

Psalm 92:2 KJV 1900

2 To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, And thy faithfulness every night,

Bethany and Mackenzie video of a man saying “just look at it.” over and over again. My brother-in-law describing his trip.

3. HIs lovingkindness gives us constant reasons to praise Him.

Psalm 89:1 (KJV 1900)

1 I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: With my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.

It is good to praise with music.

Verse 1 says it is good to sing praises & now we get more info.

Psalm 92:3 (KJV 1900)

3 Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; Upon the harp with a solemn sound.

My Church of Christ friends as a kid would not have instruments in their services.

Psalm: It came to mean a song accompanied by instrumental music.

Psalms 150 seems to call upon every conceivable instrument.

Psalm 150 (KJV 1900)

1 Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: Praise him in the firmament of his power.

2 Praise him for his mighty acts: Praise him according to his excellent greatness.

3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: Praise him with the psaltery and harp.

4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: Praise him with stringed instruments and organs.

5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: Praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.

6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.

We have many reasons to praise God.

He has made us glad!

Psalm 92:4–5 (KJV 1900)

4 For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.

He had done a great work!

5 O Lord, how great are thy works! And thy thoughts are very deep.

Creation

Salvation

Overcoming our enemies

His thoughts are very deep!

Isaiah 55:8–9 (KJV 1900)

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are my ways higher than your ways, And my thoughts than your thoughts.

The psalmist is especially referring to the way that God allows the wicked to flourish for a time, while the righteous suffer.

It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord because of who He overcomes v.6-9

The wicked do not understand His ways and will perish

Matthew 25:46 (KJV 1900)

46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

What does the unbeliever delight in and worship?

“When we cease to worship God, we do not worship nothing. We worship anything. G. K. Chesterton”

Psalm 92:6–7 (KJV 1900)

6 A brutish man knoweth not; Neither doth a fool understand this.

7 When the wicked spring as the grass, And when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; It is that they shall be destroyed for ever:

They delight in lies. Psalm 62:4

Psalm 62:4 (KJV 1900)

4 They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: They delight in lies: They bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.

Scatter them that delight in war. Psalm 68:30

Psalm 68:30 (KJV 1900)

30 Rebuke the company of spearmen, The multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, Till every one submit himself with pieces of silver: Scatter thou the people that delight in war.

Some delighteth in the strength of the horse. Psalm 147:10

Psalm 147:10 (KJV 1900)

10 He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: He taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man.

They delight in burnt-offering. Psalm 51:16

Psalm 51:16 (KJV 1900)

16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: Thou delightest not in burnt offering.

The scorners delight in their scorning. Proverbs 1:22

Proverbs 1:22 (KJV 1900)

22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? And the scorners delight in their scorning, And fools hate knowledge?

"Who delight in the frowardness of the wicked." Proverbs 2:14

Proverbs 2:14 (KJV 1900)

14 Who rejoice to do evil, And delight in the frowardness of the wicked;

"As for gold, they shall not delight in it." Isaiah 13:17

Isaiah 13:17 (KJV 1900)

17 Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, Which shall not regard silver; And as for gold, they shall not delight in it.

The delight in whatever God is against! Isaiah 65:12; 66:4

Isaiah 65:12 (KJV 1900)

12 Therefore will I number you to the sword, And ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: Because when I called, ye did not answer; When I spake, ye did not hear; But did evil before mine eyes, And did choose that wherein I delighted not.

Isaiah 66:4 (KJV 1900)

4 I also will choose their delusions, And will bring their fears upon them; Because when I called, none did answer; When I spake, they did not hear: But they did evil before mine eyes, And chose that in which I delighted not.

The wicked are no threat to the God who sits on high

Psalm 92:9 (KJV 1900)

9 For, lo, thine enemies, O Lord, For, lo, thine enemies shall perish; All the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.

Words of Nebuchadnezzar after being humbled.

Daniel 4:35 (KJV 1900)

35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

The righteous affirm the LORD is the Most High forever.

Psalm 92:8 (KJV 1900)

8 But thou, Lord, art most high for evermore.

The LORD exalts the righteous to look on the destruction of the wicked in triumph.

All those who do wickedly will be destroyed

Psalm 92:9 (KJV 1900)

9 For, lo, thine enemies, O Lord, For, lo, thine enemies shall perish; All the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.

It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord because of how He has caused us to flourish.v.10-15

God exalts the righteous to witness their destruction

Psalm 92:10–11 (KJV 1900)

10 But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.

11 Mine eye also shall see my desire on mine enemies, And mine ears shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against me.

Delighting in God is the secret of flourishing in life.

God blesses the righteous with a fruitful, long life in his presence

Psalm 92:12–14 (KJV 1900)

12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

13 Those that be planted in the house of the Lord Shall flourish in the courts of our God.

14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; They shall be fat and flourishing;

Let me give you two examples. Moses himself (Deuteronomy 34:7)…do you remember how God describes him on the day he died?

Deuteronomy 34:7 (KJV 1900)

7 And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.

But then, on the other hand, David was weak and feeble when he died. But God caused them both to flourish.

2 Corinthians 4:16 (KJV 1900)

16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

As we grow older let people say this about us!

3 John 2 (KJV 1900)

2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

Palm tree continues to grow its entire life

Psalm 37:4 (KJV 1900)

4 Delight thyself also in the Lord; And he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Delighting in Him changes everything about us

changes our desires

the “desires” of the heart must be desires that are satisfied in more of God in more and more ways.

changes our interests

Delight in God and see that he sufficiently intriguing and that you will be ruined for anything else!

“Christianity could be anything but boring.” - John Lennox learned from listening to his dad talk about the Bible

Delight in God and learn that He is sufficiently beautiful that all idols become ugly in comparison!

Considering the desire to tell someone about Jesus not just because you have seen something so beautiful you must share it. Come & See

Delight in God and see that He is sufficiently enjoyable and all else pales in comparison!

1 Peter 1:8 (KJV 1900)

8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

Delight and know His ways are best

Delight in God’s commandments to be sufficiently good that the ways of the world are exposed as noxious and fatal.

Delight in God, seen in a desire to pray to Him

Without delight in God, all the duties of religion will be most unpleasant and burdensome (Job 22:26-27).

Job 22:26–27 (KJV 1900)

26 For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, And shalt lift up thy face unto God.

27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, And thou shalt pay thy vows.

Delights seen in our relationship to the Word

"His delight is in the law of the Lord." Psalm 1:2

Psalm 1:2 (KJV 1900)

2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; And in his law doth he meditate day and night.

"Blessed is the man… that delighteth greatly in his commandments." Psalm 112:1

Psalm 112:1 (KJV 1900)

1 Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, That delighteth greatly in his commandments.

"I will delight myself in thy statutes." Psalm 119:16

Psalm 119:16 (KJV 1900)

16 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

"They take delight in approaching to God," Isaiah 58:2

Isaiah 58:2 (KJV 1900)

2 Yet they seek me daily, And delight to know my ways, As a nation that did righteousness, And forsook not the ordinance of their God: They ask of me the ordinances of justice; They take delight in approaching to God.

"Thy comforts delight my soul." Psalm 94:19

Psalm 94:19 (KJV 1900)

19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me Thy comforts delight my soul.

"They delighted themselves in thy great goodness." Nehemiah 9:25

Nehemiah 9:25 (KJV 1900)

25 And they took strong cities, and a fat land, and possessed houses full of all goods, wells digged, vineyards, and oliveyards, and fruit trees in abundance: so they did eat, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness.

"I delight to do thy will, O my God." Psalm 40:8

Psalm 40:8 (KJV 1900)

8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: Yea, thy law is within my heart.

"I sat down under his shadow with great delight." Song of Solomon 2:3

Song of Solomon 2:3 (KJV 1900)

3 As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, So is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, And his fruit was sweet to my taste.

Living a life that shows that our God is good.

Psalm 92:15 (KJV 1900)

15 To shew that the Lord is upright: He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

Years ago, there was a Scottish Presbyterian minister who was orthodox in his theology, but very reserved in the pulpit. God blessed him with one woman in his congregation who was exceptionally warmhearted and full of love for the Savior. She was in the habit of exclaiming, “praise the Lord,” or “hallelujah,” when she was blessed by something in his sermon.

This bothered the pastor, so one New Year’s Day he went to her and said, “Betty, I’ll make you a promise. If you will stop saying “praise the Lord” and “hallelujah” during my sermons this year, I’ll give you the two woolen blankets that I hear you’ve been wanting.” Betty was poor and the offer sounded so good she promised to try. Sunday after Sunday she kept quiet.

But one Sunday the pastor had a guest preacher fill in. This man was bubbling over with zeal for the Lord. As he spoke on the forgiveness of sins and the blessings of salvation, Betty’s joy grew brighter and brighter and her vision of the blankets began to fade. At last she could stand it no longer. She leaped to her feet and cried, “Blankets or no blankets, Hallelujah!” (From “Our Daily Bread,” 10/77.)