This week we are celebrating Thanksgiving. It is a time when families will gather together for a traditional meal and a time to give thanks for all of God’s blessings. As we celebrate Thanksgiving, we will be perpetuating an early American custom begun over 370 years ago.

The Encarta Encyclopedia tell us, "After the harvest was completed by the Plymouth colonists in 1621, Governor William Bradford proclaimed a day of thanksgiving and prayer, shared by all the colonists and neighboring Native Americans. In 1623 a day of fasting and prayer during a period of drought was changed to one of thanksgiving because the rain came during the prayers. Gradually the custom prevailed in New England of annually celebrating thanksgiving after the harvest." Also, in 1789 George Washington issued a Thanksgiving Proclamation for the young nation to be observed on the fourth Thursday of November of that year.

We have much to be thankful for. As we think of this Thanksgiving, I want to look at a psalm of thanksgiving written 2500 - 3000 years ago – Psalm 118.

Matthew Henry writes, "It appears here, as often as elsewhere, that David had his heart full of the goodness of God. He loved to think of it, loved to speak of it, and was very solicitous that God might have the praise of it and others the comfort of it. The more our hearts are impressed with a sense of God’s goodness the more they will be enlarged in all manner of obedience."

We are called upon to declare one of the reasons for our gratitude – that God’s steadfast love endures forever. Notice how the psalmist calls on different segments of the nation to do this. First he calls on the nation as a whole to proclaim God’s steadfast love. Next he calls on the family, the house of Aaron, to make the proclamation. Finally he calls on all individuals to proclaim God’s love. So also this Thanksgiving, let us each individually declare God’s steadfast love, and let each family declare it too, and may our entire nation declare God’s love

Spurgeon comments, "In the three exhortations, to Israel, to the house of Aaron, and to them that fear the Lord, there is a repetition of the exhortation, to say, ‘that his mercy endureth for ever.’ We are not only to believe, but to declare the goodness of God; truth is not to be hushed up, but proclaimed. God would have his people act as witnesses, and not stand silent in the day when his honour is impugned. Specially is it our joy to speak out to the honour and glory of God when we think upon the exaltation of his dear Son."

Another reason to be thankful is that when we have been in distress, we have called on God and he has heard our cry and answered us. God does not leave us alone in times of fear or distress. He is always by our side. So we can say with the psalmist, what can man do to me? Others cannot overcome or overwhelm us. God is there to help us and give us his victory.

What distress have you been going through? Do you feel afraid of what might happen to you or what others might do? Remember that God is on your side. He is with you to help you so that you may triumph in every situation. Don’t be afraid any longer. In your distress, call out to the Lord and just as the psalmist found out – God will answer you and he will set you free.

We should be grateful that we can take refuge in the Lord. His strength is better than the help of any others, including the leaders of government, business, medicine or even religion. Too often our confidence is in human help instead of the Lord. Let us learn to take refuge in God. He is there to lift us up and be our refuge.

Matthew Henry remarks, "He that devotes himself to God’s guidance and government, with an entire dependence upon God’s wisdom, power, and goodness, has a better security to make him easy than if all the kings and potentates of the earth should undertake to protect him."

The psalmist was surrounded on every side by his enemies, but God helped him and gave him a wonderful victory. Do you feel surrounded on every side by problems? Do you feel you are in a hopeless situation? Remember that God will not let you fall. He is there to help you no matter what you may be facing.

Because of what God has done for us, we have a song in our heart. We need to let these songs of victory be heard in our dwelling places, in the homes across our city and nation. Our religion should not be a private affair between us and the Lord. But let us share it with our family and friends. May all who enter our homes know that God is our strength and our song. May we sing about his salvation and the victory he has given us. It is one thing to have gratitude in our heart, but it is another to be able to share our feelings of thanksgiving with others. Let us not be afraid to tell others about God’s goodness and help.

Matthew Henry tells us, "Where there is rejoicing there ought to be the voice of rejoicing, that is, praise and thanksgiving. Let God be served with joyfulness and gladness of heart, and let the voice of that rejoicing be heard daily in our families, to the glory of God and encouragement of others."

The right hand refers to the hand of strength. God’s hand of strength is always with us. The writer repeats the thought of God’s hand of strength delivering him. It seems he may be recalling a life threatening episode from his past, or perhaps looking with hope to the future as he is facing uncertainty. Even when we are facing death or despair, God’s hand of strength is with us to fight valiantly for us. The Lord is our strength. Let us not despair.

There may come times when we feel like God is chastening us by allowing things to happen to us to get our attention back on him. When these times happen, remember that it is God who is in charge of the situation. The time of correction will be but for a short time, and then God will restore us by his will. Even in times of chastening we need to be thankful. We need to be grateful that God loves us enough to correct us and help us to grow in faith and trust in him.

The psalmist cries out for God to open the gates of righteousness that he may enter to give thanks. He understood his sinful nature and he realized how sin would separate him from God. But somehow he knew that God could open the gates of righteousness to him. God would allow him to enter into the Lord’s presence to worship him with thanksgiving. We who have been born after Christ’s death and resurrection better understand how those gates have been open to us. The veil of the temple has been torn in two. We may freely enter into the Holy of Holies to give thanks to our God. Let us go through those gates of righteousness with our praise and adoration. What a privilege we have that Christ has opened the gates for us.

The psalmist understood that God had become his salvation and he wanted to show his appreciation. So he thanked God for hearing him and saving him. Have you thanked God for being your salvation? Have you shown your appreciation to him? What a better time to do it than this week which we have set aside for thanksgiving.

Let us sing from our hearts the words of the old praise chorus,

Thank you Lord for saving my soul

Thank you Lord for making me whole

Thank you Lord for giving to me

Thy great salvation so rich and free.

Spurgeon explains, "Whenever we draw near to praise the Lord we must come by this gate; acceptable praise never climbs over the wall, or enters by any other way, but comes to God in Christ Jesus.... Alas, there are multitudes who do not care whether the gates of God’s house are opened or not; and although they know that they are opened wide they never care to enter, neither does the thought of praising God so much as cross their minds."

In Matthew 21:41 Jesus applies the words in these two verses to himself. He was rejected by the religious leaders, but he was the cornerstone of God’s kingdom. He is the solid rock of our salvation. Many people today are still rejecting that stone, and many people cannot understand God’s plan. But those that do realize that the stone that the Jewish rulers rejected has become the cornerstone of the Church. Paul calls it a mystery. The psalmist simply says it is the Lord’s doing. But to all believers it is marvelous. It epitomizes God’s love for all peoples. It reveals God’s everlasting mercy. It shows us that God is no respector of persons. We Gentiles have been grafted into the vine. Although our ancestors were barbarians and rejected the one true God, the Lord in his mercy has now extended his hand of salvation to all the world – to all who will accept Christ as their Savior.

Do you realize that this day God has made especially for you. The Lord has created it for our benefit, that we may live it to the fullest. Every day we draw another breath is a gift from God. So as we go through our days, let us be like the psalmist. Let us rejoice and be glad every day which God gives us.

Spurgeon applies this verse to the Sabbath, "We observe the Lord’s-day as henceforth our true Sabbath, a day made and ordained of God, for the perpetual remembrance of the achievements of our Redeemer. Whenever the soft Sabbath light of the first day of the week breaks upon the earth, let us sing,

This is the day the Lord hath made,

He calls the hours his own;

Let heaven rejoice, let earth be glad,

And praise surround the throne."

The psalmist understood that he was blessed by God. He wrote that those who enter in the name of the Lord are blessed. Because he was the recipient of blessing, he also wanted to bless the Lord from the temple. We have also been blessed by God, so let us join the psalmist and bless God from his house – the church. God has done so much for us. He has rescued us from affliction and he has given us success in our endeavors. Shouldn’t that cause us to want to thank him and bless him?

The psalmist gives us one more reason to be thankful – God has given us light. He lights our pathway so that we may not stumble, he lights our spirit so that we may know him, and he lights our mind so that we may understand God and his teachings. Because of all these blessings, the psalmist declares, "I will give thanks to thee; thou art my God, I will extol thee." Let us also show our appreciation to God by giving thanks and extolling him.

McGee comments, "My friend, I wish I could somehow express to you the fact that you and I ought to praise the Lord. ... I wish I could open up like a flower and express my praise and thanksgiving to my God! Oh, my friend, to fall down and worship Him, to praise His name and glorify Him is all important. He loved us and gave Himself for us. May our love today go out to him in adoration and praise."

As in the English, this verse in the Hebrew is identical with the beginning verse of this psalm. The author wants to emphasize how important it is for us to give thanks to the Lord. As we lift our heart and thoughts to God in gratitude this Thanksgiving, we are reminded of all the benefits and blessings God has given us this past year. If God has been good to you, if you have experienced his steadfast love and mercy, be sure to lift your heart in thanksgiving to him. He deserves our praise.

Spurgeon points out, "The Psalm concludes as it began, making a complete circle of joyful adoration."