Plenty of Reasons

Plenty of Reasons
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.”

Psalm 107:6–9

Though we are not given the human author of Psalm 107, many Bible students believe it was Ezra. They believe this was a song of praise to God when the Jewish people returned from Babylon to rebuild the temple and the city of Jerusalem. Though seventy years had passed since the Israelites had been taken captive, God had remained faithful to His people, and when the prophesied period reached its end, He moved the hearts of heathen kings to act in fulfillment of His promise.

God is faithful by His nature, and in every situation, we can fulfill the command to praise Him and give thanks for His goodness to us. It was A. W. Tozer who said, “Gratitude is an offering precious in the sight of God, and it is one that the poorest of us can make and be not poorer but richer for having made it.” There are always plenty of reasons for gratitude, no matter how bad things seem to be. An ungrateful Christian is a selfish, world-focused Christian. Rather than rejoicing in all that He has received, he complains because God has not given him enough.

The reality is that God owes us nothing at all, and everything we receive is a good gift of His grace. If we remember this simple truth, it will radically transform the way we act and react. It will change our ingratitude into the persistent praise that God’s goodness deserves. We receive His goodness on a daily basis, and we must never lose sight of the source and the reason for our blessings.
Today's Growth Principle:
A Christian who recognizes the great goodness of God will never lack for reasons to praise Him.