Giving Thanks
1. We can give thanks for the portion we have in the Lord because we keep His words: “Thou art my portion, O LORD: I have said that I would keep Thy words” (v.57) – words so wonderfully expressed for us in the inspired Scriptures.
2. We can give thanks for the Lord’s favor. He applies a personal word, so it becomes part of those mercies for which we go to Him: “I entreated Thy favor with my whole heart” (v.58). At His throne of grace we “obtain mercy” (Heb. 4:16), not just in living action but by His word to us.
3. His testimonies give direction to our walk – including gathering to the name of the Lord Jesus: “I ... turned my feet unto Thy testimonies” (Ps. 119:59). May we not lose the simplicity that is in Christ.
4. We can be thankful for the energizing effect of the word of the Lord: “I made haste, and delayed not to keep Thy commandments” (v.60). Who is not thrilled by this: “For yet a little while, and He that shall come, will come, and will not tarry” (Heb. 10:37).
5. The enemy may be very busy robbing, but faith rests ever on the principles of the Word of the Lord: “I have not forgotten Thy law” (Ps. 119:61).
6. We can give thanks to the Lord for His righteous judgments, which guard both our life as individual believers and the Church of God: “Thanks unto Thee because of Thy righteous judgments” (v.62). Some judgments guard even into the future: “You who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven” (2 Th. 1:7).
7. We can give thanks for companions, those whose hearts, including ours, the Lord touches so we can walk together in the fear of the Lord, keeping His precepts: “I am a companion of all them that fear Thee, and of them that keep Thy precepts” (Ps. 119:63). It has been said, “Lazarus, come forth” (Jn. 11:43) was a precept, as it was directed personally and powerfully and produced fruit for the glory of God.
8. We can rejoice with thanksgiving in the fullness of the lovingkindness, or mercy, of the Lord, which fills the earth and produces a heart open to teaching: “The earth, O LORD, is full of Thy mercy: teach me Thy statutes” (Ps. 119:64). It is easy to teach an open heart.
What will eternity be when, in the presence of the Lord, He will tell us all His heart!
By Philip J. Pilon
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When we realize that the Lord is God’s center and the source of all grace for us, our souls reach out to Him and say. “Thou art my portion” (Ps. 119:57). With the whole heart the godly man goes in for the words that unfold the greatness, glory and beauty of the Lord. Engaged in communion with Him, the soul is exercised as to its ways being according to the desire of His heart.
The Lord delights to hear and answer prayer! Communion with Him regarding His words will always lead us to consider our ways. There will be no delay in putting the feet in the path of obedience to the Lord, because the heart is set on the person of Jesus, and the motives are pure. As soon as the heart is inclined after Christ, the enemy comes in, endeavoring to rob the soul of its enjoyment of Christ. Let us be encouraged, for he would not attack us if we did not have something of real value which he wanted to take away. We drink of the well that God has provided for us. When we come to Christ as the One in whom we have life for our souls, we can say with the psalmist, “At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto Thee” (v.62). Thank God for the midnight experiences of life! If everything went well for us it would be easy to be a Christian, but we would lack much of the joy that we find in Christ in times of trouble. We rejoice in the touches of divine grace, and we love as the Lord walks with us in the valley. Sometimes He leads us into the valley of the shadow of death that we might feel the loneliness He felt, and that there we might find His companionship.—Outline Of Sound Words, adapted.
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