Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good… to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt ... and brought Israel out from among them … with a strong hand and an outstretched arm … to him who divided the Red Sea in two … and made Israel pass through the midst of it … but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea … to him who led his people through the wilderness … Give thanks to the God of heaven, his love endures forever.

Psalm 136:1, 10-16, 26

What do you think of when you hear the word “past?” Many people dread thinking about the past, as our culture tells us that it is a horrible thing, and that we should never get swept up in it. However, the Bible teaches us that the past is one of the best ways to learn, and does so by showing us story upon story of past events. These biblical events teach us everything we can know about the power and glory of our Lord. And because of that, we should be ever so grateful for the past.

In this passage, God is praised for several different past events, all from Israel’s long and complicated story.

Like that story, our lives are stories, and sometimes stories don’t make sense and are complicated in the moment, but become crystal clear when we take a bird’s-eye view of past, present and future. 

The past can teach us important lessons and is a foundation for both our present and future. If we didn’t have this foundation, where would we be? How could we grow in our faith? We wouldn’t be anywhere (especially in our spiritual journey) without the things in the past, whether good or bad, because these are the experiences that have shown us God’s power!

That is the main idea of this passage: praising God and being thankful for his almighty power! That same power was (and still is) working through stress and uncertainty. While it seems that God may not be working in times of uncertainty, taking a step back to look at the big picture shows us just how he never stops working in our lives.

The author of this psalm is conveying to us just how much our Lord can do, all while teaching us to be grateful for things in the past. One could say that dwelling in the past is dangerous and unhealthy, but this passage gives us the key to not getting stuck in the past: gratitude! If we have the right mindset, the past helps us grow in our faith by teaching us to praise God and be grateful for everything he does for us.

As Thanksgiving approaches, what are some events that have changed your life, for better or for worse? How can you praise God for them and be thankful for them?

To read or re-read the overview/summary of this week’s passage, you can click here.