Gratitude
Use the material to go deeper into this Series on your own, or with your small group.
Series Materials
Good morning Chapel family! We are taking this summer to walk through the book of Psalms, and we’ve been saying every week that the Psalms connect with human emotions. We’ve looked at Psalms that express despair and fear and injustice and waiting. So they help us put words to what we’re feeling. But there’s something else the Psalms do: besides just affirming the emotions that we already have, the Psalms model for us and sort of coach us on certain emotions that we really should have. Does that make sense?
If you are a parent of young kids, you’re doing this with your kids all the time. Imagine your child goes to school and they see another kid who’s left out, and your child thinks, “Oh well—tough luck for them,” as a parent you teach your child to feel…what? To feel compassion for that left-out kid. If your son just stole his sister’s ice cream cone, and she’s crying and sad, you teach your child to feel…what? Remorse for what he’s done, and respect for his sister’s rights. And we could think of lots of other examples. Good parents coach their kids on what kinds of emotions are appropriate at different times. And the Psalms do the same thing. When we read the Psalms we’re reminded that there are times in life that we should feel this way.
So today we come to Psalm 65, and it reminds us of one of the most important emotions we should have, which is gratitude.
Years ago I heard a pastor tell a story about a beautiful car he owned. He was so proud of this car, and he parked it right in front of his house. So one morning he walked outside and he noticed a tiny little scratch on the driver’s side door. He tried to buff it off with his sleeve, unsuccessfully. So he got in the car and drove to work. When he came back out to his car after work, what do you think the first thing he noticed was? The scratch. In fact, that’s the only thing he saw. 99.9% of the car looked immaculate…but his eyes went immediately to the scratch. Other people would admire his car, and he’d say, “Yeah—I’m really upset about that scratch,” and they would say, “What scratch?” And he would show them, and they’d go, “Oh—didn’t notice that.” But he noticed it, constantly. And he said, “For me, a big part of my spiritual growth has been learning to stop fixating on the scratches of life, and learning to be grateful for the rest of the car.”
I never forgot that story. And I think we need it now more than ever. Because when we look around, if we want to, there are a lot of scratches we could focus on. Aren’t there? I mean, there are all kinds of things in our country and in our world an in our personal lives that are not as they should be, that we can focus on. And sometimes we need to! But this is a holiday weekend. This is a weekend to reflect on the good things. So I’m so happy we’re going to look at a Psalm that reminds us to be grateful. Our souls need this.
So let’s read the Psalm. Psalm 65. I invite you now to hear the Word of God…
1 Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled. 2 You who answer prayer, to you all people will come. 3 When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions.
4 Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.
5 You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds, God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas, 6 who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength, 7 who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations. 8 The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.
9 You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it. 10 You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops. 11 You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance. 12 The grasslands of the wilderness overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness. 13 The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing. This is the Word of the Lord.
This Psalm was probably used as a way to thank God for a good harvest in the fall—in fact, it was very likely used during the Jewish Feast of Weeks, otherwise known as Pentecost or Shavuot, which was a festival designed specifically to thank God for the harvest. Obviously, the harvest was incredibly important to people back then, because it meant their kids would have bread to eat, and the family would be able to survive the upcoming winter. So the harvest was really life and death, and you can just feel that grateful tone, can’t you? It’s up; it’s joyful; it’s celebratory.
So as the people of Israel gathered to celebrate the harvest, and as we gather as a church to celebrate the freedoms we have in this country, this Psalm is inviting us to take our eyes off the little scratches in our lives, and joyfully thank God for three specific things.
First, Thank God for His Welcoming Love. Look again at the first two verses:
1 Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled. 2 You who answer prayer, to you all people will come.
When he says “to you all people will come,” he’s talking about God’s people coming from all over Israel and gathering together to praise God. The place they’re gathering is “Zion,” which was a nickname for Jerusalem. So you have to picture this scene: huge crowds of people—families and individuals and every generation—walking together toward Jerusalem. And it’s not like a funeral procession; it’s more like a mob of British soccer fans walking toward the stadium to watch their team play: they’re singing; they’re joyful; they’re expectant. It’s that kind of vibe, without the beer. So…where, specifically, in Jerusalem are they headed? Verse 4:
4 Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.
So this happy throng of people is headed for the temple. And David, he writer of the Psalm, calls it the “holy temple”—because this was the one place where God chose to manifest his presence on earth. Think about that: the holy God, who dwells in unapproachable light, who’s so perfect and holy that even Moses wasn’t allowed to see his face. This is the God who, when Isaiah the prophet saw him in a vision, Isaiah said, “Woe to me—I’m undone—I’m a sinful man, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” This is the holy temple of the holy God, so you would think people would be terrified to go near it! Right? Like, “I’m going to get zapped if I get too close!” But they’re not afraid at all! They’re singing…rejoicing…praising—almost like they think God is expecting them. How is that?
And the answer is in verse 3:
3 When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions.
See, God isn’t just holy; he’s also loving. And because of his love, he made a way for his people to enter his presence. That word “forgave” is the Hebrew word kaphar—it literally means “to cover.” It’s where we get the holiday Yom Kippur—the day of covering, or day of atonement. Through the temple sacrifices, God covered his people’s sins. And “cover” doesn’t mean “cover up”—like he hid their sins or pretended they weren’t there—it’s not that kind of covering; it’s more like this: you’ve gotten yourself in huge financial trouble; you’ve maxed out six credit cards; you’re taken a second mortgage on your house; and you’re overwhelmed by your debt, and you’re about to go bankrupt…and then your rich uncle calls. And he says, “I heard about your debt. I’m going to cover that for you.” It’s that kind of covering. Like paid in full; debt satisfied forever. Can you even imagine that kind of relief? That kind of uncle?
And that’s why the people were so happy! “Lord—we were overwhelmed by sins, but you covered the debt!” And all we want to do is come close to you—into your house—and tell you how thankful we are.” They were welcome in God’s house, and they knew it. And here’s the thing: if they were thankful that God covered their debt, you and I have infinitely more reason to be thankful. Because Jesus came as the final sacrifice, which means we no longer rely on priests; we no longer have to come to a physical temple; simply by trusting in Christ, our sins are covered once and for all…and we are welcome in God’s presence forever. Amen?
Man, I need that. Because I’m a sinner. My wife reminds me of that quite often. If it weren’t for God’s grace, I’d be in trouble.
There was a well-known secular humanist and novelist named Marghanita Laski, and shortly before she died she was interviewed on TV and she said this: “What I envy most about you Christians is your
forgiveness. I have nobody to forgive me.” Isn’t that sad? We need forgiveness. It’s not just a nice luxury; it’s like oxygen. And in the message of Christ we find rich forgiveness.
And it’s a kind of forgiveness that’s very personal. The author Michael Reeves says there are two ways to look at God. One way is to view God as the Supreme Ruler of the Universe. Which is true, right? God is that. But he says the problem is, if that’s the main way you view God, your focus is all about the rules, and whether I follow the rules or break the rules. Iif that’s how you view God, then your relationship with him can’t be any better than your relationship with any traffic cop. So follow me on this: if I get caught speeding (which would never happen, because I’m a pastor)—if I get caught speeding and I get pulled over, and the police officer says, “You broke the rules, but I’m going to let you off with a warning. Slow down,” if that happens, I’ll be relieved, but I won’t love that officer. Relief is great, but it’s not the same thing as love. So if your primary view of God is the Supreme Ruler, you won’t love a God like that. You won’t be eager to run to his house and praise him.
But there’s another way to view God. In all of Jesus’ teaching, how does he portray God? As a father. That doesn’t mean God doesn’t have rules—he does. But he’s so much more than just a giver of rules, or even a forgiver of rule-breakers. He’s a father who loves his kids. And therefore, when you realize that’s what God is like, you’re not just relieved that your sins are forgiven; this is the kind of God who is worthy of our love. If you have struggled to feel a deep love for God, and you’ve struggled to worship and pray and enjoy him, maybe it’s because you’ve been viewing him as the Supreme Ruler of the Universe. And today Jesus invites you to see God as your Father. A father who welcomes you into his house—around his table—he wants you here.
So today, instead of focusing on the scratches and problems in your life, be thankful for God’s loving welcome.
Secondly, this Psalm invites us to Thank God for His Awesome Power. I believe strongly that humans were designed to experience awe. Our souls are hungry for it. And I think we need it now more than we’ve ever needed it before.
There’s a professor of psychology at the University of Toronto named Jennifer Stellar, and she recently wrote this:
We share a universal problem right now. We’re all busy and stressed, and maybe even more self-involved because of the pandemic. Social isolation may be contributing to a tendency to ruminate more or even be narcissistic, which is related to ego. But experiencing awe can “quiet that ego.”
Later she says, “Researchers define awe as the mostly positive emotion you feel when you’re in the presence of something so vast you can’t immediately understand it.” The researchers are right! The experience of awe is so important. And there’s no higher awe than experiencing God. Look at verse 5: You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds, God our Savior… Now—he could be talking about God’s awesome deeds on behalf of his people—like parting the Red Sea, or defeating Israel’s enemies. But then in verse six he says who formed the mountains by your power. It seems like this is mostly about God’s awesome power in creation. So the same God who covers our sins and lovingly welcomes us into his presence is the God who created the universe. And David stays on that topic all the way through verse 8, where he says this:
The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.
The more we are awed by God’s creation, we will respond with joy. Our souls become larger.
Let me tell you about two very different researchers. There’s a physicist at California Institute of Technology named Sean Carroll, and he was recently interviewed on NPR. And he was marveling at the fact that in our galaxy alone—the Milky Way galaxy—there are 100 billion stars, and that the Milky Way galaxy is one of 100 billion other galaxies in the observable universe. But he said there’s something that amazes him even more: when our universe burst into being at the Big Bang, or whatever you want to call it, everything had to be just right. He said, “It's a delicate arrangement. It's a clue that the early universe is not chosen randomly. There is something that made it that way. We would like to know what.” And yet, Sean Carroll is an atheist. There is something in him that’s unwilling to make the leap from the wonder of the universe to the design of a Creator. And I have deep respect for him and people like him. But I also believe the evidence is so strong, and those who deny it are missing out on the worship they were designed for.
The second researcher was named Sofia Cavaletti. She specialized in the study of spirituality in young children. And she wrote about a 3-year-old girl who was raised in a completely non-religious family. One day she asked her father, “Where did the world come from?” And her father answered her in strictly naturalistic, scientific terms. But then he said, “there are some people who say that all this comes from a very powerful being, and they call him God.” And when she heard that, the little girl started dancing around the room with joy. And she said, “I knew what you told me wasn’t true! It’s God! It’s God!” There’s something in even a 3-year-old that knows all this beauty was designed by Someone, and that acknowledging that Someone brings deep joy. We know it’s right!
So as the Israelites converged on Jerusalem for this great celebration, they thanked God for his awesome power. That was part of the song they sang! So this summer, as you’re experiencing the beauty of the Jersey Shore or the Appalachian Trail or rafting the Delaware or watching meteor showers at Jenny Jump State Forest, or whatever you’re planning to do, allow yourself to be awed by the God who created all this beauty. So many negative things you can focus on, right? But choose to thank God for his awesome power. It’s just good for your soul.
And then finally, Psalm 65 invites us to Thank God for His Generous Provision. This was really the immediate context for the writing of this Psalm: the harvest had been brought in, and it was a good harvest. So in response to that, David wrote this Psalm, and the last few lines are so beautiful and the imagery is so rich…I’m going to read them one more time, and I just invite you to hear the poetry and picture the scene and feel what David was feeling as he wrote. Starting in verse 9—close your eyes if you want…
9 You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it. 10 You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops. 11 You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance. 12 The grasslands of the wilderness overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness. 13 The meadows are covered with flocks
and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing.
Don’t you just feel the abundance and the blessing and the joy? So in light of God’s lavish generosity in providing all of that, there’s no way the people could just take it without praising God for it.
About a week ago I had an hour between the workday and an evening meeting, so I drove over to the Pequannock River in Riverdale to do a little trout fishing. It’s not exactly the remote wilderness, right along the Hamburg Turnpike, but it’s a nice little spot and you can catch rainbow trout there. So it was a beautiful June evening; I was working my way downstream. And I came upon a family who were just having the greatest time on the river. There were three little boys aged about 5 through 12, splashing and swimming in the river. The dad was wearing a diving mask, and he was collecting some unidentified things from the bottom of the river and throwing them onto the shore; his wife was gathering up what he threw over. I heard them speaking Spanish, and I couldn’t resist the opportunity, so I went over and said hello. It turns out they’re originally from Honduras; they live in Newark; and they were just spending the evening on the river. And I said, “What are you collecting?” And they showed me this pan—I took a picture—filled with crayfish. And then they showed me the little campfire they were building on the bank of the river, and they told me how they were going to sauté the crayfish over the fire and have a great feast that night. So I spent the next 15 minutes with them just fishing and talking.
And as I was driving home I just started reflecting: this family was so filled with joy. They were so grateful for what they had: dinner on the banks of the Pequannock River, free of charge, courtesy of God’s generosity. And it was one of those moments I thought, “Dave, you have no clue how good you have it.” I have a refrigerator full of food, a second fridge full of more food, and a pantry full of more food. And then sometimes that’s boring, so we order in. And I said, “Lord, any time I’m tempted to complain, remind me of that family on the river.” Any time I’m tempted to obsess over the little scratch in the car, lift my eyes to see the big picture.
I know we’re living in some tough times, relatively speaking. Gas prices are up; food prices are up; cars are hard to find. We’ve seen better times. But can I just encourage you to zoom out? Just back up and get some perspective. God has been so good to us. Especially in this country—God has been so good to us. And this weekend is a great time to acknowledge that.
So this holiday weekend, as you are enjoying the rich bounty of New Jersey summer food at its best—sweet crunchy corn on the cob, succulent Jersey tomatoes, burgers or chicken or steak on the grill—can you smell it? Blueberry or peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream—whatever it is you’re going to indulge in, remember that Honduran family on the river. But mostly, remember this Psalm. Remember the people who made a joyful pilgrimage to Jerusalem just to say, “Thank you Lord, for your goodness!” And if your family doesn’t normally say grace, you be the one to say, “Wait a minute! Everybody come here for a minute. Look at everything we have. I know there are some tough things happening in the world, but look! Before we enjoy this, we have to give God thanks. And then give a simple prayer of gratitude. It will be good for your soul; it will be good for everyone who’s with you, and God will be honored.