"It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High."
Psalm 92:1
Psalm 92 is titled “A Psalm or Song for the Sabbath day,” (Psalm 92:1). This song was written to sing on the Sabbath day. The Sabbath was a holy day for Israel, set aside for the people to focus their attention on their God. It was a time to step away from business and pleasure to worship. It was a rest day. This day is taken very seriously.
“If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honorable; and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words,” (Isaiah 58:13).
Rather than to follow their pursuits on that day, it was a good time to thank the LORD.
“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD,”
Why is it a “good thing” to give thanks to the LORD? Here are a few reasons to thank Him.
1. Giving thanks to the LORD is being obedient to the scriptures. So many places in the Word tell us to thank Him.
2. Giving thanks to the LORD helps us keep our priorities straight. It reminds us of what is important in life.
3. Giving thanks to the LORD helps us to “give honor unto whom honor is due.” God is worthy of our praise and thanksgiving.
4. Giving thanks to the LORD reminds us of His goodness to us daily. His gifts to us: life, health, food, clothing, air, water, daily protection, friends, memories, hopes and dreams, the blessings of redemption, salvation, and the assurance of a home in heaven, among others.
5. Giving thanks to the LORD helps us to pause and show our gratitude to the One we love and adore.
“And to sing praises unto thy name,”
Our praise to the LORD is to Jehovah, the eternally self-existent One who needs nothing. We praise His name. The Sabbath was to be a day to remember Jehovah and His goodness. It was to be a day of thought and remembrance. This day came around once a week, and because people tend to forget very quickly, God gave His people a built-in time of remembering.
Believers, it would do us well to spend time daily, or at least weekly, remembering how good our God is to us.
“O most High:”
The “most High God” is the Hebrew name “Elyon.” This name for God emphasizes His strength, His sovereignty, and His supremacy.
We give our thanks to Jehovah the most High God. He alone is worthy of our praise!