Psalm 136:1: Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
Experiencing Jesus in the Psalms
O give thanks unto the Lord. The exhortation is intensely earnest: the psalmist pleads with the Lord’s people to give thanks, three times repeated. Thanks are the least that we can offer, and these we ought freely to give. The inspired writer calls us to praise Jehovah for all his goodness to us, and all the greatness of his power in blessing his chosen. Let us praise our Heavenly Father. Let us give thanks unto the Giver of all good. For he is good. He is good beyond all others; he is the source of all good, the sustainer of good, the perfecter of good, and the rewarder of good. 1
Living the Transformed Life
And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord: “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever toward Israel.” Then all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord. Ezra 3:11
- Will you thank Him for His goodness in sharing His creation with you: He has made the earth by His power; He has established the world by His wisdom, And stretched out the heaven by His understanding. Jeremiah 51:15
- Will you thank Him for His goodness in providing for you: The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food in due season. Psalm 145:15
- Will you thank Him for His goodness in saving you: He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the beggar from the ash heap, to set them among princes and make them inherit the throne of glory. 1 Samuel 2:8
A thankful heart will change your outlook about every difficult situation.
Praise and Prayer
Thank You, Father, for all your abounding goodness towards me. Dear Jesus, please teach me how to start my day with a heart of thanksgiving.
1. PACKER, J. I. (1993). Introduction. In Psalms (p. 311). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.