Introduction
Today is Thanksgiving Day here in Canada, and we have so much to be thankful about. In a few moments we are going to take some time and share together our thanksgiving to God. But first I am reminded of a song that declares, “It is good to give thanks to the Lord. Singing praises to our God on high. Sing Your mercies throughout the day. And Thy faithfulness by night. And Thy faithfulness by night.” This is taken from Psalm 92 and was sung when the OT saints gathered on the Sabbath. It is a Psalm known for thanksgiving and opens with a declaration of worship directed towards God. As with many passages of Scripture in the Psalms there is a distinction made between the wicked and the righteous. The Psalmist ends describing the victory of the righteous as they follow in the ways of God.
A key point to mention is this, there are twelve times when God is directly addressed in this psalm and seven of those times the very sacred name of God - YHWY (translated LORD, in all capital letters) - is used. This is Old Testament Praise Song focuses on Yahweh in the same way a New Testament Praise Song focuses on Jesus.
It is good...
This is the only Psalm in the Bible that has in its title: A Psalm. A Song. For the Sabbath. This means that possibly on every Sabbath it was read/sung and if not on every Sabbath it was a regular hit song. The Sabbath was a holy day appointed and set apart for us to cease from all the regular business of life and give special attention to God. It was a day for God’s family to rest and worship together. So this Psalm has some positive perspectives for us to consider and practice in relation to God.
I love the way this Psalm opens with “It is good...” We are in the midst of a series on worship. One of my experiences with worship and God and the saints is goodness. There is something so right, so good, so pleasant, so desirable – I could go on and on – when God’s people gather to focus on the Lord. There are a lot of things in life that are good, but there is no one as good as God. There are times when our worship is very satisfying with things going well. Our hearts are full, and our faith is flying high. This is the “it is good” experience of worship, our mountain top praises with God and his saints. What is our response to God who good? We are told in Psalm 92:1-3 – It is good:
· to praise the Lord (give thanks to the Lord)
· and make music to your name, O Most High
· to proclaim your love in the morning
· and your faithfulness at night
· to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp.
You make me glad
One of the by-products of worship is gladness and joy. As believers we are never to worship for what we can get from God. There are some erroneous thoughts out there in churchianity that you can give-to-get from God. This is not valid. However, we must remember that God is good and loves to give. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17). In the case of Psalm 92:4-5, we are given several reasons why gladness and joy can overtake the life of a believer. “For you make me glad by your deeds, O Lord; I sing for joy at the works of your hands. 5 How great are your works, O Lord, how profound your thoughts!” Gladness, happiness, joyfulness are such positive emotions of worshipping God. Singing joyfully is defined as loud, shouting, shrills of joy. Gladness and joy are neither calm nor tame. The are emotional and exuberant expressions of worship directed towards God. What praise reports do you have this week? Has God made you smile this week? It is time to give thanks and praise to God for the good and amazing things he is doing in our lives with gladness and joy spilling over.
Worship Warriors
The Sabbath is a day of rest and thankfulness directed towards God in worship. The Sabbath and thankfulness are significant points of connection with God. But the Sabbath is also a day of reflection that brings with it hindsight from the previous week. To some degree each one of us has gone through weekly tests and trials and the psalmist understands this. In Psalm 92, we are reminded that even though there are enemies and adversaries of God and his people, in the end God and his saints are victorious. At times it is our circumstances that rob us of peace with God. We wrestle with different challenges each and every week. Maybe a trial of illness. You may have been betrayed or rejected. Maybe a financial set back that has you worried. You may have a broken relationship you are dealing with. Or maybe the loss of a loved one. This Canadian Thanksgiving Day also carries with it the struggle of Covid. I think we are all sick and tired of people being sick and tired.
When we are undergoing various tests and trials, “giving thanks to the Lord” requires extra courage, extra faith. The challenges are real, but on this Sabbath, or any other for that matter, we must believe that God is good and is making something beautiful and good and eternal out of our pain or suffering. This is what I mean by a worship warrior. Someone who draws near to God despite one’s difficult circumstances. Someone who gives thanks to God in the midst of the pain. Someone who praises the name of the Lord when their heart is broken. It takes great love and faith to thank God at times like that.
The Righteous will Flourish
I love the Sabbath and take my time with the Lord very serious. I often reflect on the Sabbath about what the next day or week will bring. Sometimes I sigh because I needed more time with God to fill my tank, so to speak. Other times I sigh because of the busyness, the work or the challenges awaiting me. The last message the psalmist communicates from the heart of God is this – the righteous will flourish. What a powerful thought to go to bed with at the end of a thankful Sabbath. Tomorrow and the coming week, I am, we are, going to flourish. The word in Hebrew carries with it several meanings. Flourish means to blossom, to sprout, to shoot up, not just in the springtime but at all times. Flourish carries with it the idea of becoming apparent, becoming understandable and visible, leading to breakthrough. Because of Jesus Christ, we are the righteous ones, saints of the Most High. We are graceful and righteous followers of Jesus who are to live abundant lives, flourishing for God. Can you imagine reading this at the end of every Sabbath. Powerful. “12 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; 13 planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, 15 proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.” What a glorious way to go to bed. Declaring I am going to have an abundant, flourishing week full of breakthroughs. So thankful to God for being upright, my Rock with no badness, malice, injustice or wickedness in him at all.
In Conclusion
With all of this in mind, Psalm 92, the Sabbath Psalm, the Thanksgiving Day (weekly) Psalm, assures us that, that in all things, God will prove to be good all the time and in all ways. I am reminded of the song by Bob Fitts, God is Able…
God is able to make all grace abound to you.
God is able to make all grace abound to you.
So that in all things,
At all times,
So that in all things,
Having all that you need.
You will abound, in every good thing,
Abound, having all that you need,
Abound, in every good deed,
You'll abound.
Therefore, Psalm 92 tells us it is always good and appropriate - no matter what - to give thanks to the Lord…
In Application
What are you thankful for?