The lady was holding her little boy tightly as they splashed in the surf of the ocean jumping to meet each wave. Suddenly there came up a gigantic wave that tossed them back and rolled them on beach sand as the wave returned. When she got the salt out of her eyes and stood up, her little boy was nowhere to be seen. She cried out in panic, “Melvin, Melvin, where are you?” But then she realized he had been swept away.
She lifted her eyes to heaven and said, “Oh God, oh most merciful God, if you will only restore my little boy, I will be forever grateful.” Just then another huge wave threw her down again. When she stood up – there was little Melvin. The woman lifted her hands and eyes again unto God and said, “But Lord, he had a cap.”
As I read that story I thought of how typical was this response to the blessings of God. We give our thanks but wonder why more wasn’t given.
Now listen to the experience Mark Tidd as he tells of his friend:
“An old man showed up at the back door of the house we were renting. Opening the door a few inches, we saw his eyes were glassy and his wrinkled face glistened with silver stubble. He clutched a wicker basket holding a few unappealing vegetable. He bid us good morning and offered us his produce for sale. We were uneasy enough that we made a quick purchase to alleviate both our pity and our fear. To our chagrin, he returned next week, introducing himself as Mr. Ross, the man who lived in a shack down the road. As our fears subsided, we got close enough to realize it wasn’t alcohol but cataracts that marbleized his eyes. On subsequent visits, he would shuffle in, wearing two mismatched right shoes, and pull out a harmonica. With glazed eyes set on future glory, he’d puff out old gospel tunes between conversations about vegetables and religion.
On one visit, he exclaimed, ‘The Lord is so good! I came out of my shack this morning and found a bag full of shoes and clothing on my porch.’
‘That’s wonderful, Mr. Ross!’ we said. ‘We’re happy for you.’
‘You know what’s even more wonderful?’ he asked. “Just yesterday I met some people that could really use them.'”
Two people responding to God’s goodness in two very different ways. One wondering why more wasn’t given and the other amazed at how much God gives.
Whoever wrote Psalm 107 was like Mr. Ross full of praise and thankfulness. Read this Psalm and notice the desert wanderers thirsty for water, prisoners seeking mercy, sick asking for healing, or sailors stuck in a storm at sea. In each need and circumstances the people asked for help and received the Lord’s blessing. But then, the Psalmist makes the point to call out over and over – “Give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wondrous deeds for men.”
This charge of the Psalmist to shout out our thanks is one for us:
“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so” (Psalm 107:1–2)
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