Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.”
Psalm 136:1
The answers of God are reason to celebrate Thanksgiving!
Today I’m thanking God for answers – His answers.
The Bible is full of reasons to thank and praise God. These reasons fall into one of two categories: His attributes and His actions. Or, His character and His conduct. Or, what He is like and what He does. Psalm 86 is a great place to see these two categories and how they are often inseparably linked in Scripture.
Let’s consider a few verses that praise God for His attributes:
“You are kind and forgiving, O Lord,
Abounding in love to all who call on you.”
Psalm 86:5
“But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,
Slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.”
Psalm 86:15
God is kind and forgiving and compassionate and gracious and patient and loving. These are characteristics of His nature. This is the way He is, the way He has always been, and the way He will always be.
But note how David praises God for His actions as well as His attributes.
“Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord;
No deeds can compare with yours.”
Psalm 86:8
“For you are great and do marvelous deeds;
You alone are God.”
Psalm 86:10
And here’s one of my favorite verses than praises God for both what He is like and what He does:
“For great is your love toward me;
You have delivered my soul from the depths of the grave.”
Psalm 86:13
God is love, and He repeatedly showed His love to David by delivering him from his enemies. As chronicled in 1 and 2 Samuel, David was often on the move, literally running for his life. His psalms are filled with prayers for physical salvation because “The arrogant are attacking me, O God; a band of ruthless men seeks my life – men without regard for you” (Psalm 86:14). These “ruthless men” included King Saul and, later, after David become king, his own son Absalom.
Time after time David poured out his soul to God and pleaded for deliverance. Psalm 86 begins with a plea to God for an answer to this request for physical salvation:
“Here, O LORD, and answer me,
For I am poor and needy.
Guard my life, for I am devoted to you.
You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you.
Have mercy on me, O Lord,
For I call to you all day long.
Psalm 86:1-3
It is in this context of running for his life that David praises God for his attributes of kindness and love and faithfulness. And it is in this context that David is asking God to take action and do something. David is desperate for God to provide answers to these prayers.
“In the day of my trouble I will call to you,
For you will answer me.”
Psalm 86:7
Of course, we know how these stories end. The Bible tells us that God did indeed answer David’s prayers. He escaped from both Saul and Absalom and many others. He was close to death on numerous occasions, but God saved Him every time.
God answered David’s prayers by taking action in accordance with His character. This is the story of David’s life.
And it is the story of every believer, is it not?
As I think back over my own life, I’m filled with gratitude for God’s answers to my prayers. After spending 10 years trying to follow God, I became increasingly frustrated with the Christian life. Finally, I gave up. At age 26, even though I had graduated from Bible college and seminary, and was working in a church as an assistant Pastor, I walked away from Jesus. More accurately, I ran away from Him, as fast as I could and as far away as I could.
I spent the next 20 years ignoring God and living as a practical atheist. As far as I was concerned, He didn’t exist. I wanted nothing to do with Him, His Word, or His people.
For many years I enjoyed this godless existence. I become quite proud of myself and my accomplishments, creating a life for myself in pursuit of the American Dream. I found a new career as an accountant, got married, bought a house, raised a family, and starting saving for retirement. Life was good! Isn’t this what it’s all about?
God let me wander off into this spiritual no-man’s land, but eventually He began to work in my life and tug at my heart. After 20 years of ignoring Him, I found myself mysteriously drawn to Him again. I was baffled by this. But I found myself wanting to attend church and read the Bible and spend time with Christians.
During this time of renewed faith, I started to pray, “God, if you are real, please make yourself known to me.”
Over a period of several months, I prayed this prayer many times. And thanks be to God, He answered my prayer! Another prodigal son came home to his Father, and I’ve been following Jesus for the past 11 years.
David’s words became reality for me:
“Hear my prayer, O LORD;
Listen to my cry for mercy.
In the day of my trouble I will call to you,
For you will answer me.”
David asked God to deliver him from his enemies. And God answered that prayer. I prayed that God would deliver me from my enemies of doubt, unbelief, and rebellion. And God answered that prayer.
This is a prayer that God loves to answer: “God, please make yourself known to me!”
God delights to answer our prayers for salvation – whether physical or spiritual – because He is the God of answers.
Today, I am thanking and praising the Father for His answer to my prayer to know Him as the one true God He claims to be.
Again, David’s words are my words:
“I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify your name forever.
For great is your love toward me;
You have delivered my soul from the depths of the grave.”
Psalm 86:12-13
How about you? As you reflect on your own life, what prayers has God answered?
Please join me and give thanks to our great God, for He is the God of answers!
NOTE: For the other posts in this Thanksgiving acrostic, visit Click Here.
To date, there are 6 posts in this series, one for each letter of the word T-H-A-N-K-S.
- Am I Really A Christian? (Part 4) - November 13, 2024
- The Greatest Knowledge of All - November 8, 2024
- How to Pray Like David (Volume 3) - October 30, 2024
