We give thanks to you, O God;we give thanks, for your name is near.
We recount your wondrous deeds. (Psa 75:1 ESV)
Dare I admit that I struggle with thankfulness! I do. It reminds me of the lingering effects of sin in my life. Not just one of my many sins, but Sin, original sin or indwelling sin (Ro 7:21-25).
This Psalm teaches that thankfulness is the fruit of knowing that God is near, that is, God’s presence is with his people. This truth is easy to remember when I sense his presence. It can be in times of corporate worship or prayer or reading Scripture or in ministering to others. It is not so when I have to remember this by faith when I am dealing with the difficulties of life. This is why we are called to live by faith and not by sight (2 Co 5:7)! Easier said than done.
This Psalm also teaches that thankfulness is the fruit of recounting or remembering and telling others what God has done for us. This is a necessary aspect of corporate worship and other forms of body life in which God’s people gather to encourage one another. This can be anything from a staff meeting to a small group to having coffee with someone. Our church has an open mike time during our service. We specifically chose to incorporate this into our service during a time when our church was going through a very difficult season and we sensed we needed to give opportunities to publicly thank God for who he is what he is doing in our lives in spite of the difficulties we faced as a church. It was a breath of fresh air into our times of worship and into the life of our church.
So from this one verse, I am reminded that being unthankful or ungrateful comes from forgetting God’s presence and not reminding myself and telling others what he has done for me. The gospel promises me that he is both near and has done great and amazing work on my behalf! If you too struggle with this sin, let me encourage you to deliberately and intentionally remind yourself and those around you of these two truths.
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