Thanksgiving is around the corner. Are you always giving thanks in God?
Everyone struggles to maintain a disposition of gratitude for any length of time.
The Israelites exemplified this attitude of discontentment. God had delivered them from their bondage in Egypt, but they soon complained about their circumstances. Israel’s bad example led Paul to warn us not to be like them (1 Corinthians 10:10). One of Israel’s fatal sins was their lack of gratitude to God for His mercy.
In every situation, whether good or bad, we are to give thanks to God. Yet, as much as Christians might want to consistently exemplify gratefulness, we often find ourselves acting just like the Israelites, complaining rather than giving thanks.
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Thanksgiving is a good reminder that we should always be thankful. So, how can we move from an attitude of discontent to one of thankfulness? The answer is an understanding of the foundation for gratitude, which is found in Psalm 97. At the end of this passage, the psalmist reminds us to be thankful to God following a list of truths for consideration to be glad in the Lord. There are four truths about our Lord in this psalm, giving believers a foundation for thanksgiving.
First, to build a foundation of gratitude, we must notice the Lord’s sovereign rule (verses 1-3).
In the first three verses, the psalmist highlights the Lord’s sovereign rule. For the Christian, this understanding is foundational for perpetual gratitude. In a world of changing rulers, unjust authorities, perversions of justice, violence, and oppression, the Lord Jesus Christ reigns supreme! If the Psalmist could write these truths before Christ’s coming, how much more might we say it with assurance after the Incarnation! Christ is reigning now as He has ever reigned and always will reign (1 Cor. 15:25).
The Psalmist, though, is looking even further to the Lord’s eternal reign. Christ’s sovereign rule has begun, but there is a greater dimension to it than we now see. One day, Jesus will rule alone as King, sovereignly administering His will. Jesus’ reign is a great hope now, reminding us He is triumphing over His enemies until He defeats death, and He will soon assume His rightful position as King over all forever.
Christ’s rule is a great cause for thanksgiving, but it becomes even more so when we contemplate its extent. This rule is not for the benefit of only one nation but for all the remotest parts of the world! His sovereign rule is for the benefit of all races, nations, peoples, tribes, and tongues.
His rule’s foundation is also righteousness and justice. It would be absolutely dreadful if God was a despotic or tyrannical ruler. Yet our Lord sovereignly rules in righteousness and in justice. This is what redeemed humanity yearns for — someone whose throne is built upon righteousness and justice. The only person of whom that is true is the Lord Jesus Christ!
Additionally, Christ’s rule allows for no rebels. He rules with an iron scepter. In this psalm, Jesus is pictured coming in glory with fire around Him, destroying His enemies. Those who refuse to submit to His reign will perish.
The rule of Jesus Christ is a great cause for thanksgiving. We should be thankful knowing that Christ now sits as King, that He must continue to do so until He has subjected all His foes beneath His feet, and that He will reign forever with His saints.
Second, as we consider how God’s greatness should cause us to be thankful, we need to consider His powerful presence (verses 4-7).
One day, the Lord’s presence will cause physical disruptions over the earth. Christ’s future coming to establish His eternal Kingdom will be accompanied by cosmic phenomena due to His great power, and this power invokes great praise in the Heavens. What a scene! The physical world is shaken by the power of God’s all-consuming presence, and the inhabitants of Heaven praising His righteousness.
Just like the reign of Christ is extensive, so also is the revelation of His glory. The Lord’s coming will not be seen by a select few. Rather, His return will be with such great power over all the universe that the whole earth will see His glory.
As the psalmist contemplates God’s sovereign rule and powerful presence, he admonishes those who are not in subjection to the Lord. How foolish are those who worship idols in any form when the living God reigns for the benefit of all the earth! Why would anyone ever subject themselves to idols?
The psalmist then gives an admonition of worship to the angelic beings. The Lord’s righteousness is continually praised in the heavenly places by those who inhabit them. This God, perfectly righteous, just, and all-powerful, has come in the person of His Son to reconcile us to Himself so we would benefit from His sovereign rule. O let our hearts be thankful!
Third, to give us a foundation of thanksgiving, we see Christ’s exalted position (verses 8-9).
Believers rejoice when they are reminded of the truth of God’s lofty position. Yahweh’s decrees are authoritative because He is Most High over the earth. We are thankful because Jesus Christ is highly exalted. We are joyful when we hear of His judgments, knowing Christ has been exalted above all gods.
Christ’s sovereignty, power, and exaltation are beyond our full comprehension. We are not able to see clearly all aspects of these truths. Yet we know that He is righteous and just, that He is omnipotent, that He reigns, and that He is highly exalted. The more we delight in these truths, our hearts will be increasingly thankful. What can shake us when we know that our Lord and Savior is reigning and more highly exalted than anything or anyone else?
The psalmist has thundered these overwhelming truths about our God. In conclusion, he speaks to us tenderly. He shows how this God condescends mercifully to care for His lowly people (verses 10-12).
God’s tender care for His people is shown in His preservation of their souls from destruction. The Lord keeps us believing, trusting, loving, and obeying. He delivers us from the evil one. He gives us grace to help in our need. This is the perseverance of the saints. Christ hides us in Himself, so we do not fall away.
Our great God also delivers us from the power of evil. The Lord’s people will always overcome the world through faith. Try as they may, the wicked will never have the final say with us. Our God reigns, and He cannot but reign. He preserves our souls and delivers us, so we overcome the world in Christ. No one can thwart His purpose.
The Lord has also sown joy for His people, and someday there will be a harvest of everlasting joy in His presence. God’s rule is for our benefit, joy, and good. He is reigning and working everything for our everlasting joy in Him by His exalted, omnipotent strength.
Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Are you always giving thanks to God? Are we truly glad in God, or do we find ourselves discontent, thinking just one more thing will make us happy? Here is a foundation for continual gratitude: Christ’s sovereign rule, powerful presence, exalted position, and tender care for His people. This is our Lord! O how we need to know this God and delight in Him! “Be glad in the LORD, you righteous ones, And give thanks to His holy name.”
Dr. Robb Brunansky is the Pastor-Teacher of Desert Hills Bible Church in Glendale, Arizona. Follow him on Twitter at @RobbBrunansky.
