God’s
promises are yes and Amen (so be it) to us who are faithful followers of Jesus
Christ (2 Cor. 1:20). Meaning, what God promises He will fulfill. This is an
amazing thing for us to be thankful for! On the other hand, it is so easy to
listen to the news and find it hard to be thankful (the Ferguson unrest, the
battle against ISIS, the Ebola crisis, natural disasters hitting various parts
of our country and world, etc). Yet when we take and turn our attention to the
promises of God our outlook changes!
The original settlers of our
nation looked to some of these promises and were able to have an attitude of
gratitude. One passage that was particularly dear to the pilgrims was Psalm
107. In this Psalm, we find 5 reasons to be thankful.
First, God provides homes for
the homeless (107:1-9). The Puritan pilgrims had been driven from their homes
and were virtually hounded from place to place, but finally were able to set
sail for a land that they could call home. The majority of us can be thankful
for not experiencing homelessness or such unrest. On the other hand, “Apart
from God we are like the prodigal son, who left his father's home to squander
his substance in a far country” (Boice, Psalms Vol.3, p. 866). Yet the moment that we turn to the Father through
Jesus Christ (John 14:6), we are blessed with an eternal home (John 14:2).
Second, God delivers us from
oppression to freedom (107:10-16). The 16th century Governor William Bradford
told of how the pilgrims were hunted and persecuted on every side. Some were
taken and locked up in prison, others had their houses staked out night and
day, and hardly escaped their enemies' hands; and the most were forced to flee,
leaving their houses and habitations, and the means of their livelihood (Bradford,
Of Plymouth Plantation, p. 10). Yet even still these individuals eventually made it to the
land of the free. All of us go through periods or even seasons of oppression
from time to time. Spiritually, every person was bound by the wages of their
sins; yet when we receive Christ, He frees us from guilt, shame, and
condemnation; and He grants us His favor (Luke 4:18-19).
Third, God delivers us from sickness
to health (107:17-22). Most of the original pilgrims did not survive the trip
across the ocean and the first winter, yet some did. And those individuals were
extremely thankful that they did. Scripture teaches that the road to life is
narrow and only a few find it (Matt. 7:14). Yet for those who do, they are blessed
with deliverance from all physical aliments (Rev. 21:4). This is something that
we who have a present active trust in Christ for our salvation can be thankful
for (John 10:27-28).
Fourth, God delivers us from danger
to safety (107:23-32). Can you imagine being out on those waters over a
thousand miles from land as storms brewed on the horizon? It is hard to
conceive what it must have been like for the Pilgrims to cross the Atlantic in
a boat built back in the 1600s, with poor navigations skills. Yet God delivered
them to the safety of dry land. Some of us have probably weathered floods,
tornados, or earthquakes, etc. On the other hand, almost all people have gone
through various storms like financial problems, health troubles, or a family
crisis. Yet for us as Christians, God promises to still the storms when we call
on Him. Sometimes He does this by literally calming the torrents of life, while
other times He calms us by His presence through it all. Either way He delivers
us.
And fifth, God delivers us from
trials to triumph (107:33-43). Even after all that the Pilgrims had gone
through, their trials were not over. They experienced wars with the Indians,
crops that failed, and sicknesses that returned. Yet through it all, God
enabled them to survive. Whatever our trials maybe, we as Christians can know
for a fact that God will work it out for our good (Rom. 8:28). The promises of
God are yes and amen in Jesus Christ. Therefore, may we “Give thanks to the LORD, for
He is good; His love endures forever” (Psalm 107:1).
In His service,
Matt
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