Psa 107:8 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

The message of this psalm is: God is gracious while man is ungrateful. Four times this statement appears in this psalm: “Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses” (v.6, 13, 19, 28). And, following that statement, God did something to deliver them. And, four times this statement appears after each deliverance: “Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” (v.8, 15, 21, 31). The psalmist says: “Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted” (v.17). The idea is, transgressors bring sorrows upon themselves. If you are involved in a gang fight, you will get injured, maybe lose an arm or leg, or may even die as a result. If you rob a bank, you will get caught and be punished by the Law. If a man treads along in the path of sin, he will come to this result - to punishment. We see it happening in the book of Judges. Israel sinned; Israel was afflicted; God sent a deliverer; Israel soon forgot about God (Judges 2:11-17). The cycle keeps repeating itself. Israel was ungrateful. Indeed, the call is pertinent to them: “Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” The psalmist is lamenting the fact that men have often failed to praise God in spite receiving so much goodness from Him. God’s goodness to those wandering through the wilderness should give everyone reason to thank Him for His wonderful works. We need not be direct recipients of that blessing, but still, we should be able to thank God not only for His work in our personal life but also for what He does for others. When we read of how God blessed and loved Abraham, we praise God for His goodness. When we read how God delivered the Israelites from bondage in Egypt, we praise God for His goodness. When we read how God took care of the children of Israel in Egypt in spite the many times they tempted Him in unbelief, we praise God for His goodness. When we read how God was so patient with the children of Israel when they kept turning their backs from Him but yet He kept delivered them from their oppressors, we thank God for His goodness. And, when we read how God loved the world so much that He sent His only begotten Son to die that we may be saved, we thank God for His goodness. Brethren, there are so many things in life we should be giving thanks to God. Yes, life is hard; but God is still good. Since the fall of man, God has decreed that life will be hard: “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground” (Genesis 3:19). One writer wrote: “Life is hard because God is good.” It sets me thinking. Then, I think of parenting. Why do parents send their children to school knowing they will get all stressed out from all the homework, projects, and exams? Why would they want to do that to their children? Is it because they don’t love them? The truth is: they love them. They know education is good for them. In the same way, God uses these hard things in life to make us strong and more like Him. Thank God for the struggles and afflictions in life; God is good: “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience,” (Romans 5:3, 4a). “The word rendered “experience means trial, testing, or that thorough examination by which we ascertain the quality or nature of a thing, as when we test a metal by fire. The meaning is, that long afflictions borne patiently show a Christian what he is; they test his religion, and prove that it is genuine.” (Barnes’ Notes) Life is hard, but it makes us strong; God is good. Let us praise the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!