Praise the LORD!
Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!

  - Psalm 106.1

For He created us to this end, that ever reigning with Him, we should praise Him unto ages of ages, and continually give thanks to Him.

  - Columbanus, Sermon IV, Irish, 7^th century

How good is the Lord? He is the very embodiment of goodness, its purist and truest Form, the Benchmark, Standard, Sum and Substance of all goodness.

Jesus said, “There is only One Who is good, even God.” Whatever goodness is, God is it. Wherever anything good appears, God is in it. He made the world and all things in it good, as a reflection of His beauty, wonder, majesty, peace, abundance, diversity, and glory (Gen. 1.31). He gives good gifts even to those who do not know Him (Acts 14.17). He works all things together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8.28).

God’s Word teaches us to long for His goodness to appear in the land of the living (Ps. 27.13). He has made us to do good works, in imitation of His own works (Eph. 2.8-10). He is at work within us to will and do according to His good pleasure through good works of love (Phil. 2.13).

To know God is to know goodness; to commune with God is to be transformed into His goodness, as that goodness is embodied in our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord is good, and He is thus worthy of continual praise and thanks from all human beings, especially those who know Him and His goodness.

Acknowledging God’s goodness by remarking it with praise and thanksgiving is the starting point for increasing in goodness. It’s a sign that we are indeed seated with Him in heavenly places, reigning over the world and life with Christ, at the right hand of God (Eph. 2.6).

But we don’t always remember to give thanks. And our praise to the Lord doesn’t tend to be very specific, considering all the good things He does. To the extent that we neglect praise and thanks to God for His goodness, we will not increase in that goodness nor realize the reason for our redemption.

Perhaps if we understood that, by His steadfast love, we draw breath, live and love, work and enjoy the good gifts He gives us, and continue to exist every moment of the day; and perhaps if we were more aware and observant of the manifold goodness of God, we would give Him praise and thanks more often, and more openly.

Feelings can also get in the way of praising and thanking the Lord. We may fail to praise the Lord and thank Him for His goodness because we don’t feel like rejoicing, or we don’t feel thankful. Life can be hard, and complaining and whining come so much more naturally to us.

Or we might fear what others would think if we were more outspoken regarding the goodness of the Lord.

But not feeling thankful or fearing what others might think need not prevent us from giving thanks. Indeed, especially when we don’t feel thankful, or when we are afraid, giving thanks is an act of obedient faith, which God stands ready to reward with the peace that passes understanding (Phil. 4.6, 7). Giving thanks and offering praise to God help to shape us into the image of Christ, so that we feel thankful and our praise is more earnest, sincere, and overt.

In our heart, we may not feel thankful, or we may fear to give praise or thanks to God; but if we know we are commanded to praise God and to give thanks in everything, and if praising and thanking the Lord is an established value in our soul, then our mind and conscience will overrule our heart, and lead us to praise and thank the Lord by faith, regardless of what we’re feeling. Gradually, our heart will come around as well, and our souls will overflow with true gratitude and praise to God.

Praise and thanks are like a spiritual muscle in our soul, which grows stronger by exercise. Why not make a point this week of bringing the disciplines of praise and thanksgiving to a higher level of consistency and expression? Memorize the verse for today and recite it often throughout the day. Write down everything you see, or that comes to mind throughout the day, which expresses the goodness of God to you. Praise and thank Him then and there. Review your list often during the day, offering praise and thanks as you do.

Talk with others throughout the day about the goodness of God. Ask the people in your Personal Mission Field for reasons they might have for giving thanks to God. And, at the end of the day, give prolonged praise and thanks to God before retiring.

Then do that again the next day.

The disciplines of praise and thanksgiving are a wonderful curative for all manner of spiritual maladies – fear, doubt, anxiety, depression, anger, and much more. But we must practice them faithfully and wholeheartedly if we are to know the peace and joy that come from this simple act of acknowledging that our Lord, indeed, is good.

Psalm 106.1-5, 48 (Trust in Jesus: ‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus)
Praise the Lord! Give thanks and praise Him! He is good, His love endures!
More His works than can be spoken; let His praise be ever sure!
  Blessèd be our God and Savior, evermore His praise proclaim!
  Let all those who know His favor praise His holy, glorious Name!

Lord, when You Your people favor, help me! O, remember me,
That I may Your blessings savor, and in joy and glory be!
  Blessèd be our God and Savior, evermore His praise proclaim!
  Let all those who know His favor praise His holy, glorious Name!

Help me to give You thanks more often this week – and always – O Lord.

Thank you for your prayers and support.
Thanks so much to all of you who share with us financially in this ministry. We rejoice in the Lord, that He has moved and enabled you to support The Fellowship of Ailbe. God supplies our needs as we look to Him day by day, and He may be pleased to do so, at least in part, through you. Please seek Him in prayer concerning this matter. You can use the Contribute button at the website to give with a credit card or through PayPal, or you can send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction VT 05452.   

T. M. Moore
Principal
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All psalms for singing from The Ailbe Psalter. Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.