Thanksgiving
Psalm 107:29-32
He caused the storm to be still, So that the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad because they were quiet, So He guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness, And for His wonders to the sons of men! Let them extol Him also in the congregation of the people, And praise Him at the seat of the elders.
This passage interested me because he is giving thanks for God’s help in calamity. Reference is made to waves in a storm. I’m not sure if this is figurative or literal. For us, it’s figurative.
Our daily lives can contain many troubles. They are like storms. There is nothing more terrifying than large waves in a storm while at sea. What’s comes to mind is the movie “Perfect Storm”. They encountered many waves that distressed them and one big one that ended their journey. Verse 26 of Psalm 107 says, “They (the waves) rose up to the heavens, they went down to the depths; Their soul melted away in their misery.” The peak of the wave was so high it reached the heavens and the trough of it was in the depths. The human response was such terror that the soul melted away. That is quite a description. This is again figurative for us. Our difficulties can be to such a degree that they cause our souls to melt away. Our circumstances can reach a point where we are in great distress.
Our daily lives can contain many troubles. They are like storms. There is nothing more terrifying than large waves in a storm while at sea. What’s comes to mind is the movie “Perfect Storm”. They encountered many waves that distressed them and one big one that ended their journey. Verse 26 of Psalm 107 says, “They (the waves) rose up to the heavens, they went down to the depths; Their soul melted away in their misery.” The peak of the wave was so high it reached the heavens and the trough of it was in the depths. The human response was such terror that the soul melted away. That is quite a description. This is again figurative for us. Our difficulties can be to such a degree that they cause our souls to melt away. Our circumstances can reach a point where we are in great distress.
How do we respond at these times? One of the things we should do is to pray. He will answer. It may not be to eliminate the storm. He will give us the ability to cope. He will give us peace in the storm. That is calming the storm within, so as to handle the storm without. He also may calm the storm without. He is the master of circumstances.
We are to thank Him. This comes naturally when the storm is calmed. A flood of elation overtakes us. This is the most natural time to give thanks. Don’t rush it. Savor it. Much like we would mull over the savory dish. Give thanks. Think on all of the dimensions of our circumstance and how He dilivered us.
It’s easy to forget or to rush past it. Jesus came across a group of ten lepers. They asked to be healed. All were. However only one returned to give thanks. Here’s the passage in Luke 17:15-18, Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine—where are they? “Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?” The others were busy with other things. Maybe they rushed off to tell their family. Not a bad thing, but they forgot to give thanks. We often get busy and the moment passes us by.
Lord, thank You for your deliverances. Help us to be grateful and return to give thanks.