Psalm 107: 1 – “O, give thanks unto the Lord…”

I knew my dad was proud of me, but not because he often told me. I knew it because he told other people and they told me.

Mr. Pete, our barber would say: “Your dad was just in here and he told me how proud he was of how you got accepted to Harvard.” Or, Mr. Carter, his boss, would see me outside the school bus compound where my father worked and say: “Your dad was just telling us how proud he was of you when you won so many gymnastic medals the other day.” Or, my mom would say: “I showed you dad your report card with straight A’s. He is so proud of you.” It didn’t really bother me. But, it was sort of funny that he told everybody but me! Perhaps, this is the impact and import of that little preposition in the opening line of psalm 107. “O give thanks unto the Lord!” It is not enough to have thanks and be grateful. It is insufficient to give thanks to some anonymous benefactor. We are to give thanks in person, in public, in private, in His presence, out loud unto the Lord!

There is no way that you can convince me that all ten of the lepers Jesus cleansed were not thankful. When their diseased skin became as soft as a baby’s behind, somebody had to ask what had happened to them. No doubt, at that point, they gave thanks and praise to the Lord. However, the scripture records that while all ten may have had thanks and even given thanks, only one returned and gave thanks unto the Lord. What did he get out of giving thanks unto the Lord that his buddies did not? He received the personal attention and commendation of Christ and he became not only healed, but whole!