April 4

From: Continual Burnt Offering: Daily Meditations By: Henry Allan Ironside

Psalm 107:8,15,21,31

“Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men” —Psalms 107:8, 15, 21, 31⁸Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! (Psalm 107:8)
¹⁵Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! (Psalm 107:15)
²¹Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! (Psalm 107:21)
³¹Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! (Psalm 107:31).

FOUR times in Psalms 107 we have these same words, calling for praise and thanksgiving. Elsewhere we read, “Praise is comely for the upright” (Psa. 33:1¹Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. (Psalm 33:1)), and again we are told, “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth Me” (Psa. 50:23²³Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I show the salvation of God. (Psalm 50:23)). Praise is the spontaneous outcome of a grateful heart who has experienced the saving grace of God and who recognizes His providential dealings and Fatherly care day by day. It is strange indeed that we should need to be urged to praise. But we are so prone to be forgetful of the source of our mercies and to rejoice in the gifts (which we so readily take for granted) rather than in the Giver Himself, who is worthy of our constant adoration. How often we pray for blessings and forget to give thanks when our cries are heard!

“Our Father, we give thanks to Thee

That Thou hast given to us food

And shelter, hast supplied our needs

And brought our hearts to joyous mood.

Yet we do thank Thee more, that if

These temporal things should fail, and we

Be hungry, naked, desolate.

We still could place our trust in Thee:

And know that though the darkness come,

The dawning is not far away,

And Thou whose mercy cannot cease

Will bring to us the light of day.”