A GRATEFUL HEART
Psalm 138
From the top of the mainsail of the weathered old freighter came a cry that the passengers and crew had been waiting to hear for the last 65 days: “La-a-nd ho! La-a-nd ho! Sleepy men and women stumbled out of their bunks, still not sure what they had heard,
but there it was again. “Land ho!”
It was seven o’clock in the morning onNovember 9, 1620. The Mayflower which had left out of Portsmouth, England in early September had finally reached North America. Shouts of joy
mingled with tears of grief. William Brewster, the Elder of this small band of 102 of Puritan believers who had left in England
in search of religious freedom, suggested a song of gratitude.
From the believers came the words of Psalm 100: “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness:
come before him with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God.”
Brewster and the other leaders rushed up to the captain, Christopher Jones and asked him what part of North America
they were approaching. He told them the long low shore was known to English sailors as Cape Cod, for the magnificent fishing,
especially cod, inthe waters which were around it.
“Instinctively many of the Puritans fell upon their knees,” recalled Governor Bradford, “and blessed the God of Heaven who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean . . . to set their
feet on the firm and stable earth.”
At ten o’clock the Mayflower dropped anchor a mile off shore. The passengers roamed from stem to stern studying the land.
The longer they looked, the less elated they were. Recalling that day Bradford later wrote, “Summer being done . . . the whole country, full of woods and thickets . . . What could now sustain
them but the Spirit of God and his grace?”
Sustained they were despite the terrible trials of that first winter.
They held their first Thanksgiving feast the following November 1621 after they had brought in a substantial harvest of their crops.
Bradford wrote, “By the goodness of God we are far from want.”
Thanksgiving should be the natural response of a believer as a result of seeing the hand of God at work in your life. As we see his care, guidance, protection and provision we should thank him.
PRAISE OF GOD’S CHARACTER :1-3
Commitment :1
Thanks (KJB praise) – Heb. lit. to point with your hand
I Kings 8:35 In dedicating the templeSolomon prayed,
“If they pray towards this temple and confess (point) your name.”
To point at someone means youacknowledge them for something they have done and the natural response is to thank or praise them.
Whole heart means a heart which is honest, sincere and true.
David would give thanks to God not just publicly with his mouth for others to hear, but privately with the sincerity of his heart.
Before the idols which the pagan nations worship he will proclaim that there is only one true God who is worthy of worship. Their unbelief will not cause him to be silent; instead he will be a witness to the only true God.
Application
1. Giving thanks or worship is always to point to God. It is not about how I feel, but about who God is and what he has done.
I can give thanks or worship even when I and hurting or suffering because you are acknowledging the character of God.
2. Thanksgiving and praise cause us to focus on the magnificent character of God not what other people believe or don’t believe.
3. Believers need to speak up for the truth that there is one living and true God. It doesn’t matter that other people don’t believe, we can proclaim the truth whether they believe or not.
Character :2
To bow down was to worship and his worship was directed to the temple where the presence of God dwelt in the holy of holies.
David has the personal boldness to confess there is only one true God and the spiritual humility to bow down before him in worship.
True worship is acknowledging who God is and directing your thoughts, your words and your actions to honor him. Worship
is about God not about us, it is about truth not about feelings.
David worships two characteristics of God’s character:
1.Steadfast love (KJB lovingkindness) – Heb. chesed
It is the commitment of God to care for and love his people Israel because of the covenant he made with them to be their God. He would keep his covenant even though they were not loyal to him.
The idea is that his love would remain steadfast no matter what.
In the KJB it is translated mercy (149x) and lovingkindness (30x).
2. Faithfulness (KJB truth) – Heb. firmness, reliability or stability.
It means the individual is consistent so they keep their promises.
They do what they say they will do and you can count on it.
David know that God loved him in the past and would continue
to love him in the present no mattered what happened in his life.
God remains the same even though life all around us changes.
The reason I can trust God is he always keeps his promises.
These two characteristics stand out in the mind of David because God has done two things which have highlighted them to him.
Exalted – Heb. to make greator to be highly valued
KJB magnified meaning to make it large because it is great.
Ps. 34:3 Glorify the Lord with me; Let us exalt his name together.
There are two ways this phrase could be translated:
KJB You have magnified Your word above all your name.
ESVYou have exalted above all things your name and your word.
The difference is should the word be translatedall or and.
These words are spelled the same except and has the extra letter w.
KJB You have magnified Your word about all your name.
Derek Kidner wrote, “God has fulfilled His promise in a way
that surpasses all that He has hitherto revealed of Himself.”
ESVYou have exalted about all things your name and your word.
1. Your nameis the revelation of your character and person.
The Jews did not even pronounce the name of God out of fear they might misuse it or not say it out of the reverence it deserved.
In the Bible a person’s name revealed their character. The name
of God means his character so we can know what God is like.
Exodus 20:7 The third commandment: You shall not take the name
of the Lord you God in vain (falsely, wickedly), for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
2. Your wordrefers to the divine promises he gave to his people.
These were written down so the people would remember them.
Paraphrase: Fulfill your promise (word) to your servant.
Those promises reveal the faithfulness of God to us.
Matthew Henry wrote, “God has made himself known to us
in creation and providence (life), but most clearly by his word.”
God’s word reveals his character which was demonstrated in how he interacted and treated people who are recorded in the Bible.
Conviction :3
Because God had answered his prayer his faith was encouraged and he now trusted God even more than he had before which is
the real purpose for prayingthat our faith may grow.
It is not always the situation which needs to be changed; it is our faith that needs to become firm and solid. Often we want God to change the circumstances instead of our faith in him.
1. God wants us to trust in his character and his word.
2. God uses circumstances to challenge our faith to grow.
PROTECTION FROM EVIL :6-8
Position :6
God in all of his glory and power looks with favor on those who acknowledge they are under his divine authority and control.
Spurgeon – “He views them with pleasure, thinks of them
with care, listens to their prayers, and protects them from evil. They reverence him, and he respects them.”
Protection :7
Preserve (KJB revive) – Heb. to give or restore life.
We are renewed as we feed on the truth of God’s word.
God reaches out to save us from the trouble we face in our lives.
By his great power to change circumstances and people he delivers us from the evil plans of Satan determined to destroy us.
Chuck Swindoll – “Have you expressed how much you appreciate His loving sovereignty over your life?” I believe that one of the reasons our suffering is prolonged is that we take so long saying,
“Thank you, Lord” with an attitude of genuine appreciation.”
Purpose :8
Purpose (KJB perfect) – Heb. tocomplete orbring to an end
It occurs 5 times and only in the Psalms (7:9, 12:1, 57:2, 77:8).
God who has preserved his life will continue to complete the
plan he has for him. Ps. 139:16 All the days ordained for me
were written in your book before one of them came to be.
He believes the love and faithfulness of God will continue to be with him throughout his whole life no matter what happens to him.
Ps. 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days
of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
God will not abandon or forsake those he has chosen because they belong to him forever and he has a defendant plan for their life.
Derick Kindner titled this psalm “Goodness Beyond Measure”
as God has continually cared and protected him.
CONCLUSION
George Whitefield went to OxfordUniversity with John and Charles Wesley and was part of the Holy Club where they developed spiritual disciplines in their lives. When he graduated John and Charles invited him to join them in the colony of Georgia were they were serving as missionaries.
After spending the summer preaching in Georgia, he felt that God wanted him to return home, so on September 9, 1738 he boarded a ship headed for England. On October 6th the ship went through the worst storm the sailors had ever witnessed.
By the end of October the daily ration was just a quart of water
per day plus some salt beef and water dumplings. Several days later they were told there was only a three-day supply of water left. As a result their water ration was reduced to just one pint a day.
Another violent wind on November 6th pushed the ship back many miles from England. Two little cakes made of flour and water and a tiny piece of salt beef were all that Whitefield had to eat as he lay sick in his cot. By now almost everyone on board was weak.
By November 11th daily rations were down to an ounce or two
of salt beef, a pint of muddy water and a small cake of flour and water. Whitefield wrote, “I have besought the Lord many times to send us a fair wind; but now He does not think it fit to answer me.
I am wholly resigned, knowing that His grace will be sufficient for me and that His time is best.”
The next day they sighted land and on November 14th the ship arrived in Ireland. There was but half a pint of water left on the ship. A small boat was sent out to bring back food and water.
Whitefield wrote, “As soon as the provisions came, we kneeled down and returned hearty thanks to our good God, who has heard our prayers and sent His angel before us, to prepare our way.”
God’s care and faithfulness should cause us to thank him.