Thanksgiving Psalms: Psalm 40

Sunday night, at our Intergenerational Faith Formation Meal, we talked together about thankfulness, and each household received a sort of Thanksgiving devotional book to take home, with a different Psalm of Thanksgiving to read each day from now til Thanksgiving. For those of you who were unable to attend (or who just do better receiving things digitally!) those Psalms will also be sent out via the blog daily until Thanksgiving. Just a chance for you to stop and offer a prayer of thanks from the scriptures each day, developing deeper gratitude in your own lives. How do these ancient prayers of Thanksgiving compare to your own prayers? Which parts of these Thanksgiving prayers connect with your life?

Psalm 40: Thanksgiving for Deliverance 

To the leader. Of David. A Psalm.

1 I waited patiently for the Lord;

    God inclined to me and heard my cry.

2 God drew me up from the desolate pit,

    out of the miry bog,

and set my feet upon a rock,

    making my steps secure.

3 God put a new song in my mouth,

    a song of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear,

    and put their trust in the Lord.

4 Happy are those who make

    the Lord their trust,

who do not turn to the proud,

    to those who go astray after false gods.

5 You have multiplied, O Lord my God,

    your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;

    none can compare with you.

Were I to proclaim and tell of them,

    they would be more than can be counted.

6 Sacrifice and offering you do not desire,

    but you have given me an open ear.

Burnt offering and sin offering

    you have not required.

7 Then I said, “Here I am;

    in the scroll of the book it is written of me.

8 I delight to do your will, O my God;

    your law is within my heart.”