Why do you give thanks during this season? While our thoughts are most often drawn to the many material blessings God gives us, this passage reminds us that we should be most grateful to God for His forgiveness.

That was obviously true of the Ancient Israelites. After all, when times were good, they tended to start living like their pagan neighbors, worshipping false gods, and giving their idols the credit for the fertility of their land, their flocks and their herds. And as a result, God often allowed them to experience the consequences of their infidelity, letting them be conquered by the people who worshipped the same false gods.

Now, we don’t tend to bow down to carved images, but that doesn’t mean our hearts are any less fickle. For isn’t it easy for us to give our time and attention to good things like our families, our friends, and our jobs, looking to them for fulfillment, meaning and purpose? But whenever we value the things of this world more than we value our relationship with God, we’re really doing the same thing those Ancient Israelites did – we’re being unfaithful to the God Who demands and deserves our exclusive loyalty and allegiance.

But the good news is that, in spite of the Israelites’ infidelity, God remained faithful to His promises to them. Verse 45 tells us that He remembered the covenant that He had made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And God remains faithful to His promises today, promises to forgive and cleanse and welcome all those who trust in Jesus Christ, regardless of how sinful we may be.

And why is God so willing to forgive His erring children? Verses 45 and 46 tell us – because of His lovingkindness, because of His compassion. The amazing truth is that God loves sinners like us enough to give up His Son so that we might be saved. And regardless of how fickle we may be, Jesus chose to go to the cross so that we might be restored to a right relationship with Him.

God always keeps His promises to forgive us. God loves us enough to forgive us. What better reasons could we possibly have to give Him thanks and praise?

Psalm 106:40-48 (NAS)

40 Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against His people, And He abhorred His inheritance.
41 Then He gave them into the hand of the nations; And those who hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies also oppressed them, And they were subdued under their power.
43 Many times He would deliver them; They, however, were rebellious in their counsel, And so sank down in their iniquity.
44 Nevertheless He looked upon their distress, When He heard their cry;
45 And He remembered His covenant for their sake, And relented according to the greatness of His lovingkindness.
46 He also made them objects of compassion In the presence of all their captors.
47 Save us, O LORD our God, And gather us from among the nations, To give thanks to Thy holy name, And glory in Thy praise.
48 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, From everlasting even to everlasting. And let all the people say, “Amen.” Praise the LORD!