Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. 

Psalm 118:1 

Every season is appropriate for us to give thanks to the Lord. Our text encourages us to thanksgiving. The two reasons the psalmist gives are first, that God is good, and second that His mercy endures forever. These are important for us to consider because they lead us to give thanks for Who and what God is, that is, His character and also what He does. The history of God, as the Scripture presents it, shows us His character in numerous ways, all of which lead us to Christ. ‘God is a Spirit infinite, eternal and unchangeable, in His being wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.’ Christ is the manifestation of that character. The writer of Hebrews describes Christ by saying He is, ‘the brightness of His glory and the express image of His Person.’ If we observe the character of Christ, we observe the character of God. The conclusion we reach is that Christ is good and that enables us to understand that God is good. All our understanding of God is related, in one way or another, to our understanding of Christ. Christ is the Living Word of God and God has magnified His Word above His Own Name. 

Our Good and Gracious God, 
we rejoice in Who You are. 
We praise You that all Your acts, 
are a reflection of Your character. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

To Live and Declare

I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the Lord

Psalm 118:17

It’s always good to know where we are, what we are doing, and where we are going. Our text for today is somewhat of a summary statement by the Psalmist regarding his own life. He says, ‘I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the Lord.’ This is valuable for us to contemplate, especially, in the light of the Person of Christ. Even though this text arises in an Old Testament context, yet the Psalmist utters a very evangelical hope. He even refers to Christ in a prophetic way in verse 22, ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone.’ Christ would quote this in Matthew 21:42, in reference to Himself. Let us consider, please, how this statement is true for us. How is it that I could say, ‘I shall not die?’ ‘I shall not die’ because Christ has died for me. ‘I shall not die’ because Christ is, ‘the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die….’ How can I say with assurance, that I shall live? Again the answer is Christ. John has declared that, ‘in Him was life.’ Christ has affirmed, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.’ He has further declared, ‘And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.’ These two great affirmations enable us very easily to transition to the third affirmation, ‘and declare the works of the Lord.’ If Christ has done all that was necessary in order that I not die; if He has done all that is necessary in order that I might live, and that for eternity, how can I be silent? ‘Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.’ Throughout my life, unto the doors of death and on into the open expanse of eternity, I shall forever continue to ‘declare the works of the Lord.’ My testimony is, ‘He has done all things well.’

O, Gracious Lord of Life,
we rejoice that You uphold us through all our changing seasons.
We praise You that shall bring us finally to Your desired haven,
‘and so shall we ever be with the Lord.‘

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning