A Song of Thankfulness

The book of Exodus chronicles how God delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and their 40-year journey to the land that He had promised them in Canaan. It records the 10 plagues that ultimately led to Pharoah’s decision to let them go, the parting of the Red Sea that allowed their escape and the demise of their Egyptian pursuers, as well as the provisions that God made for them along the way.

Exodus 15 shares a song that Moses and the people sang to the Lord to express their worship and gratitude for all they had experienced: “The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him” (v. 2).

But just a few verses later, their song faded. The people had forgotten God’s faithfulness as they “grumbled” about their circumstances, kickstarting a nocuous cycle that ultimately resulted in the Israelite’s 40-year diversion from Canaan. In Exodus 16, they “grumbled” about food, and God provided them quail and manna, a sweet bread that fell from the sky. In Exodus 17, they “grumbled” about water, and God provided. Later, in Exodus 32, they grew impatient when Moses was on the mountain with God, and they created their own god. 

We’re not unlike the Israelites. Yes, we have needs that we can bring to Him in prayer. But are we sounding a drumbeat of complaint after complaint, or are we offering Him a song of thankfulness for His provision in our lives? This contrast is the difference between perpetual despair and hope, bitterness and joy. And if you were God, which would you rather hear?

Psalm 28:7 says, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.”

In whatever way it looks like for you, journalling God’s faithfulness in our lives is a beautiful way to remind us — because we forget. It’s a way we can write our own song of thankfulness. And Psalm 136 gives us a beautiful model as a prompt:

To Him who _____ (Fill in the blank for how He has provided for you),

For His steadfast love endures forever.

Let’s pray.

To Him who brought us here together to celebrate today, for His steadfast love endures forever.

To Him who provides us with food and shelter, for His steadfast love endures forever.

To Him who gave us work, for His steadfast love endures forever.

To Him who presents these friends here, for His steadfast love endures forever.

To Him who made a way for our salvation, for His steadfast love endures forever.

Amen.