This final verse of Psalm 100 is very similar to the commonly used table prayer “O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endures forever.” This phrase occurs in a number of places in the Old Testament (Psalms 107 and 136, 1 Chronicles 16). The refrain is a reminder of the LORD’s eternal lovingkindness.
We give thanks to the Lord because He is good and merciful; we give thanks because He is deserving of our gratitude and our thankfulness. We give thanks because His love and faithfulness is promised to endure for all time and into eternity.
Even more, we are only capable of giving thanks to Him because in His mercy He first called us to faith by the Gospel. Without the love of God, we would still be lost, dead in our sins and at enmity with Him. Only by the redemptive work of Christ are we made one with God. His perfect life and death on our behalf allow us to approach the throne of God and render our thanks. Our thanksgiving is therefore a direct result of the LORD’s goodness and mercy, rendered in faith only on account of His faithfulness toward us.
For good is the Lord, and His mercy is sure;
Glory be to God!
To all generations His truth shall still endure;
Sing praise unto God out of Zion!
(The Lutheran Hymnal, 44:4) |
