GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD

1 OH, GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD, FOR HE IS GOOD!

FOR HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER.[1] NKJV

PSALM 118:1

GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD

THESE PAST 20 MONTHS BEEN A DIFFICULT ……

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS REAPED HAVOC ON THE LIVES OF MANY AND HAS AFFECTED EVERYONE.....AND EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE A

VACCINATION.....WE ARE STILL DEALING WITH THIS DEADLY VIRUS....AND IT EFFECTS OUR DAILY LIVES....

EVERYONE HAS BEEN TOUCHED BY THE PANDEMIC IN SOME WAY AND TRUTH BE TOLD.....

SOME PEOPLE MAY BE STRUGGLING WITH THE IDEA OF BEING THANKFUL.

IT’S NOT JUST BECAUSE YOU MAY NOT HAVE CONTRACTED COVID-19 OR RECOVERED FROM IT;

NOT BECAUSE YOU MAINTAINED YOUR JOB OR FOUND A NEW ONE IF YOU LOST IT DUE TO THE PANDEMIC;

NOT BECAUSE WE ARE STILL ABLE TO MAINTAIN OUR LIVES IN SOME FASHION DESPITE EVERYTHING THAT HAS HAPPEN.

NO, OUR BEING THANKFUL GOES DEEPER THAN JUST BEING THANKFUL FOR OVERCOMING DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES IN OUR LIVES.

WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT THIS EVENING….. IS THE THANKFULNESS THAT IS RESERVED FOR GOD AND HIM ALONE.

GIVING THANKS TO GOD IS A MAJOR PART OF OUR WORSHIPPING HIM BECAUSE ……WE YIELD AND RECOGNIZE WHAT HE IS DOING IN OUR LIVES.

WE MUST STOP AND REMEMBER....... WE ARE GRATEFUL....... WHICH THEN COMES OUT IN OUR PRAISE OF THANKSGIVING.

GIVING THANKS TO GOD COMES FROM A PLACE WITHIN US WHERE WE REMEMBER WHERE WE COULD BE WITHOUT HIM –

NOT JUST IN THE WORLD WE LIVE IN PHYSICALLY.......BUT WHERE WE WILL SPEND ETERNITY BECAUSE OF THE SINGLE CHOICE HE MADE IN SENDING HIS SON TO DIE FOR US.

IF WE ARE WALKING IN A PLACE WHERE WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR US…… OUR BEING GRATEFUL IS A STATE OF THANKFULNESS …….AND IT IS OUR BEING THANKFUL THAT CAUSES US TO WANT TO SPEND MORE AND MORE TIME IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD.

WHEN WE LOOK AROUND AND THINK ABOUT THE WONDERFUL GOODNESS OF OUR GOD…..DO WE NOT FEEL A DEEP DESIRE TO PRAISE HIM AND GIVE HIM THANKS?

WHEN YOU ARE DOWN AND DISCOURAGED AND YOU READ THIS PSALM YOU ARE REMINDED THAT THE LORD IS GOOD, HIS MERCY IS UNENDING AND IN SPITE OF WHAT YOU ARE GOING THROUGH YOU NEED TO GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD.

IT IS IN THANKING THE LORD THAT YOU WILL OVERCOME IN YOUR TRIALS.

IT IS WHILE THANKING GOD THAT WE REALIZE HOW BLESSED WE ARE.

IT IS IN THANKING GOD THAT WE CAN TAKE TIME TO COUNT OUR BLESSINGS.

OUR TEXT READS “1 OH, GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD, FOR HE IS GOOD!

FOR HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER.[3]

IN THIS TEXT THERE ARE TWO REASONS FOR GIVING THANKS. THE FIRST IS THAT GOD IS GOOD. AND THE SECOND IS THAT HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER.

WHEN WE THINK ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS THAT GOD IS GOOD……..THERE ARE A FEW MEANINGS THAT COMES TO MY MIND………

GOD IS ETERNAL

GOD IS FAITHFUL

GOD IS GREAT

GOD IS HOLY (IS 6:3)

GOD IS INFINITE (JOB 11:7-10)

THE PSALMIST KNEW OF ALL THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD BUT WHEN HE CAME TO WRITING THE FIRST VERSE OF PSALM 118 THE HOLY SPIRIT INSPIRED HIM TO WRITE GOD IS GOOD.

UNLIKE THE PAGAN GODS, GOD IS GOOD

UNLIKE SATAN....GOD IS GOOD

UNLIKE HUMANITY GOD IS GOOD

YES MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS…..GOD IS GOOD

IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE ME ASK MOSES AND HE WOULD SAY “PHARAOH PRONOUNCED A DEATH SENTENCE ON ME WHEN I WAS JUST A BABY BUT GOD WAS GOOD TO ME AND SPARED MY LIFE.”

ASK DAVID AND HE WOULD SAY GOLIATH TRIED TO KILL ME AND PROMISED TO GIVE MY BODY TO THE BIRDS AND THE DOGS BUT GOD WAS GOOD TO ME.”

ASK THE WOMAN WITH THE ISSUE OF BLOOD AND SHE WOULD TELL YOU “I WAS BLEEDING TO DEATH BUT WHEN I TOUCHED THE HEM OF HIS GARMENT I WAS INSTANTLY HEALED, GOD IS GOOD TO ME.”

GOD IS NOT ONLY GOOD …….BUT HE IS MERCIFUL.

THE WORD MERCY MEANS LENIENCY, COMPASSION, FORGIVENESS, KINDNESS, PITY, TOLERANCE, CHARITY AND PITY.

GOD’S MERCY IS UNDESERVED

PS 103:8-10 THE LORD IS MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS, SLOW TO ANGER, AND PLENTEOUS IN MERCY.

9 HE WILL NOT ALWAYS CHIDE: NEITHER WILL HE KEEP HIS ANGER FOR EVER.

10 HE HATH NOT DEALT WITH US AFTER OUR SINS; NOR REWARDED US ACCORDING TO OUR INIQUITIES.

YES MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS…….GOD IS MERCIFUL

ASK NOAH AND HE MAY TELL YOU, "I COULD HAVE DROWNED IN THE FLOOD BUT GOD WAS MERCIFUL AND HE RESCUED ME."

ASK JOSEPH WHILE HE WAS IN PRISON GOD WAS MERCIFUL TO HIM.

GENESIS 39:21, 22 SAYS "BUT THE LORD WAS WITH JOSEPH, AND SHEWED HIM MERCY, AND GAVE HIM FAVOUR IN THE SIGHT OF THE KEEPER OF THE PRISON."

ASK DAVID AND HE WILL TELL YOU "SURELY GOODNESS AND MERCY SHALL FOLLOW ME ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE: AND I WILL DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD FOR EVER." (PSALMS 23:6)

ASK ME AND I WILL TELL YOU, “ I WAS BORN WEIGHING 4 LBS….AND A FEW OUNCES…..SICK AND JAUNDICE…..THE DOCTOR SAID HE WOULDN’T BET A WOODEN NICKEL THAT I WOULD LIVE…… BUT TO GOD BE THE GLORY…….. GOD HAD MERCY UPON ME AND SAVED MY LIFE…..AND MY SOUL.”

GIVE THANKS TO GOD!!!