The psalm of the month at our church is Psalm 107, which exhorts us to give thanks to the Lord because He is good. Why give thanks? Because God is good, always. Having stated that wonderful attribute, the psalmist goes on to enumerate various expressions of the Lord’s goodness. I’ll mention just four: mercy, rescue from the enemy, deliverance from distress, guidance through difficult times.

These specific blessings are poured forth from the heart of our loving heavenly Father. Every good and perfect gift is from Him (James 1:17). On this Thanksgiving, let us acknowledge the other side of those blessings. Mercy, for example, implies that we all deserve judgment, but because Jesus died in our place we can be forgiven. Being specifically grateful for mercy is thanking God for saving you from your just condemnation.

Rescue from the enemy draws attention to our previous enslavement to sin. We were trapped in Satan’s domain where we “once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.” (Ephesians 2:2) Be grateful that God has “rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.” (Colossians 1:13)

Deliverance and guidance means we’re never alone. Even amid the wilderness which this world can sometimes be, the Good Shepherd is there protecting, guiding and providing. When you were unaware, wandering away, it was the Good Shepherd that kept the wolves at bay. Let’s not make the mistake when we read Psalms like this that it’s not about you. The Spirit has spoken truth to our time and in our circumstances as much as He did in ancient times.

Read Psalm 107 again and put yourself in the Psalmist’s place. Don’t read it as if it’s some platitude that just sounds nice. Be specific in your thanksgiving by acknowledging what the verses actually say about you. God is merciful indeed, but remember how desperately you need His mercy. Recall how lost in the dark you were before He shined the light into your heart. Give thanks for His constant care and guidance, and give thanks that He will never leave you or forsake you. Read yourself into the lines, and you will offer better praise.