Devotion 19 June 2026
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 107: 1
Psalm 107 begins with a statement of praise to God for his deliverance. It goes on to describe, in a wonderfully evocative way, the sufferings of those lost in the desert, of prisoners chained in darkness, of those whose life choices left them sick in mind and body, those who face the dangers of the sea and storms. The psalmist tells how these people cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and God “brought them out of their distress”.
The four pictures show that everyone’s story is different, and yet everyone’s story is the same. And the love of God is there for each person and every situation. “Love broods over the weary caravan that faints in the desert; visits the prison-house with its captives; watches by our beds of pain; notices each lurch of the tempest-driven vessel; brings the weary home from the wilderness into the fruitful soil.” (F.B. Meyer)
This psalm exhorts us to give thanks to God because He is good. Because we know, deep in our hearts, despite the worst that life can throw at us, that his grace and mercy will sustain us, and that, ultimately, He has authority over all life, and He will bring us home.
Sometimes we are saved miraculously from the storms, deserts and prisons of life, and sometimes we have to endure through them. Regardless, we can, and should, give thanks to God because we know he holds us safely in His hand, and our trust will mean we will be whole, maybe bruised but not broken, and even in the face of death itself, we remain secure, with our eyes fixed on eternal life in His presence.
Throughout the Bible, we are continually told to give thanks, to rejoice and be glad. God is our creator, He knows that praise and gratitude is the way to wholeness, and affirming our faith is the way to peace. We are told in Ephesians 5:20 to give thanks “always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”, and even more specifically in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
Prayer
Almighty Father, we thank You that You always bring us home; we praise Your holy name that You sent Your Son to redeem us, and save us unto eternal life. Amen
