Last night, we continued looking at psalms of thanksgiving. So often, our expectations stop us from being thankful; we live in a society that thinks it is entitled to so much, and as a consequence we take so much for granted and don’t take the time to be thankful.
The psalmists reintroduce us to a world of awe and wonder. Ps 8:1-3 begins by marvelling at God’s amazing creation; Ps 139:14 marvels at the fact that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Every day, God gives us breath and opportunity to participate in a wonderful world, but we can easily take this for granted. Instead, God wants us to stop and reflect on all He has done. Ps 8 goes on to marvel at how God cares for us and blesses us in so many ways.
A child explores the world with zest and enthusiasm, and we need to lay aside our jaded perceptions of the world in order to cultivate thankfulness. This does us good, for as we meditate on the wonderful works of God (Ps 78:1-4, Ps 126:2), we are encouraged in our own faith, remembering what God has done in the past and being strengthened in the faith that He will continue to work on our part because of His faithfulness. We have an obligation to pass on what He has done to the next generation. How will others know of God’s faithfulness and power unless we tell them?
