July 4 - Psalms 106-107: Remember and Give Thanks

These psalms are thought to have been written late in Israel's history, probably sometime after the Israelites went into exile. The psalmists remind us of what the People of Israel did and how God responded, and in remembering the long sordid story, we are repeatedly reminded to thank our God for his unfailing love and mercy.

Hallelujah! Thank God! And why? Because he's good, because his love lasts. (106:1)

Oh, thank God - he's so good! His love never runs out. All of you set free by God, tell the world! (107:1-2) 

So thank God for his marvelous love, for his miracle mercy to the children he loves (107:8) 

So thank God for his marvelous love, for his miracle mercy to the children he loves (107:15) 

So thank God for his marvelous love, for his miracle mercy to the children he loves (107:21) 

So thank God for his marvelous love, for his miracle mercy to the children he loves (107:31) 

"Is that why the Israelites kept recounting their past - to trust God for their future? Remembering is an act of thanksgiving, a way of thanksgiving, this turn of the heart over time's shoulder to see all the long way His arms have carried...Isn't this what ultimately Christ asks of us in the Last Supper? One of the very last directives He offers to His disciples, the one of supreme import but I too often neglect: to remember. Do this in remembrance of Me. Remember and give thanks. 

This is the crux of Christianity: to remember and give thanks, eucharisteo. 

Why? Why is remembering and giving thanks the core of the Christ-faith? Because remembering with thanks is what causes us to trust - to really believe." Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts  

The apostle Paul makes abundantly clear the priority and importance of thanksgiving.

always [give] thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:20)

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18) 

"Giving thanks to God for both His temporal and spiritual blessings in our lives is not just a nice thing to do - it is the moral will of God. Failure to give Him the thanks due Him is sin. It may seem like a benign sin to us because it doesn't harm anyone else. But it is an affront and insult to the One who created us and sustains us every second of our lives. And if as Jesus so clearly stated, loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind is the great and first commandment, then failure to give thanks to God as a habit of life is a violation of the greatest commandment." Jerry Bridges, Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate

I haven't been very thankful today, but I've failed to call it what it is: sin. I realize that my sin has felt justified by my annoying circumstances, but that's just a ploy of the enemy to keep me away from God. When my focus is on myself and my circumstances, I totally miss out on intimate fellowship with my Lord.

Father, forgive me. For my ingratitude. For my self-centeredness. For not remembering. You promise that You've already forgiven me in Christ. I believe that, but I don't take it lightly. Thank You that You always pour out your mercy on me when I turn to You. Why is that usually the last thing I think to do??

I'm grateful that You never forget Your covenant with me, that Your immense love never fails even though I do. (106:45) Father, I seem to fail a lot.

Lord, I don't want to be an Israelite, always being rescued but never learning. (106:43) So I'm asking again - teach me to live wisely and well. Teach me daily to remember who You are and all You've done, and to joyfully express my gratitude to You. And in doing so, I pray that I will trust You more.