PSALM 111

According to Dr. P. Doraiswamy, head of biologic psychology at Duke University Medical Center, giving thanks is good for our health. “If [thankfulness] were a drug, it would be the world’s best-selling product with a health maintenance indication for every major organ system,” said Dr. Doraiswamy.

Studies on gratitude have shown measurable effects on everything from neurotransmitters (serotonin, norepinephrine), social bonding hormones (oxytocin), and cognitive and pleasure-related neurotransmitters (dopamine) to inflammatory and immune systems stress hormones (cortisol), cardiac and EEG rhythms, blood pressure, and blood sugar, according to Doraiswamy. Other medical studies have indicated a thankful attitude reduces stress and boosts immunity. In fact, a therapist friend of mine once shared that thanksgiving and anxiety cannot coexist in the brain at the same time! Isn’t that amazing?

When the psalmist wrote Psalm 111, he may not have been fully aware of the specific health benefits that thankfulness produces. However, he surely knew it is good, right, and appropriate to give thanks to the Lord. And what’s the best way to go about experiencing all the momentary and eternal benefits of thanksgiving? How can we activate thanksgiving in our hearts and minds? Easy: “Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them. Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever. He has caused his wonders to be remembered… He has shown his people the power of his works.”

Do you see it? If you want to experience thanksgiving toward the Lord in your heart, you simply have to recall to your mind the things He’s done for you, your family, your friends, and for the world both right now and since the beginning.

How did you come to know and believe in Him? When did you first hear the gospel? What blessings can you think of right now? Look at how Psalm 40:5 (NLT, emphasis added) puts it: “O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them.”

Whatever situation you’re in right now, whether it’s good or challenging, you can choose to give thanks. You can join the psalmist in praising the Lord because “He provided redemption for his people,” because “He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever,” and because “the works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy.”

Today, lets count our blessings, one by one! Let’s reflect on at all God has done, is doing, and will continue to do in you, through you, and around you. And let’s also remember to praise Him simply for who He is, for His character, for His nature, for His goodness, and His loving kindness. He is worthy of all our thanks and praise!

Discussion Question 1: Why is it important to stop and celebrate who God is? 

Discussion Question 2: Why do you think anxiety and thanksgiving cannot coexist in our minds? Why does being thankful provide so many physical, mental, and spiritual benefits?

Discussion Question 3: What do you have to be thankful for today? Go deeper than the standard answers… Really think about the many hidden blessings of God.

Discussion Question 4: What does it look like to be thankful in hard times?  

Discussion Question 5: How can you encourage others to walk in gratitude?

This Week

Read through Psalm 111 again tonight before your go to sleep. Then, sit and reflect as you lay there, recounting the many blessings of the Lord on your life this year.

Memory Verse

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”—Psalm 100 (NIV)

Prayer Guide

Father in heaven, “I will extol the Lord with all my heart.” This day, I desire to simply meditate on and bask in the innumerable blessings and loving kindness You’ve shown me. Thank You, Lord, for being You. Thank You, Lord, for sending Jesus. Thank You, Lord, for saving me. Thank You, Lord, for giving me the Holy Spirit and Your Word. Thank You, Lord, for every blessing and every trial, and thank You for being right there with me in both. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

If you have any questions, please reach out to us at CalvaryFTL.org/Questions.