WEBVTT 00:00:00.020 --> 00:00:03.720 There's a moment every year when the air itself seems to shift. 00:00:04.340 --> 00:00:09.780 The calendars fill, and depending on where you live, the streets get quieter, or they get busier. 00:00:10.500 --> 00:00:16.100 Homes smell a little sweeter, and even though life doesn't slow down nearly as much as we wish it would, 00:00:16.520 --> 00:00:19.120 there's still this invitation almost a whisper. 00:00:20.499 --> 00:00:22.000 Remember, give thanks. 00:00:23.100 --> 00:00:24.600 Look again at God's goodness. 00:00:25.380 --> 00:00:30.180 And maybe, if we're honest, that invitation feels different this year than it did last year. 00:00:31.140 --> 00:00:32.720 Some of you are carrying more joy. 00:00:33.640 --> 00:00:35.620 Some of you are carrying more weight. 00:00:36.440 --> 00:00:39.100 Some of you are doing both at the same time. 00:00:40.360 --> 00:00:44.160 But today, Scripture gives us something steady to hold on to. 00:00:44.940 --> 00:00:45.740 Not a suggestion. 00:00:46.500 --> 00:00:47.660 Not a seasonal mood. 00:00:48.200 --> 00:00:50.680 Something far deeper and more enduring. 00:00:51.940 --> 00:00:54.040 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. 00:00:54.660 --> 00:00:57.300 His steadfast love endures forever. 00:00:58.220 --> 00:01:00.180 That's Psalm 107, verse 1. 00:01:05.360 --> 00:01:06.980 Welcome to Verses We Missed. 00:01:07.340 --> 00:01:09.640 I'm your OG Godcaster, Steve Wapp. 00:01:09.930 --> 00:01:16.260 And today, for this Thanksgiving week episode, we're going to sit quietly and joyfully with 00:01:16.260 --> 00:01:19.180 one of the simplest and richest verses in the whole Bible. 00:01:20.060 --> 00:01:21.980 A verse that's not just for a holiday. 00:01:23.020 --> 00:01:26.400 A verse that's for everyone who has ever looked at their life and thought, 00:01:27.120 --> 00:01:30.240 I don't know how God is going to make something beautiful out of this. 00:01:30.980 --> 00:01:33.940 And then, eventually, He did. 00:01:35.120 --> 00:01:39.700 A verse that reminds us that gratitude is not about pretending everything is fine. 00:01:40.640 --> 00:01:43.720 Gratitude is about remembering who God really is. 00:01:46.240 --> 00:01:49.560 Psalm 107 opens with four simple refrains, 00:01:50.000 --> 00:01:52.680 almost like a chorus that would be sung in the temple. 00:01:53.800 --> 00:01:55.100 1. Give thanks. 00:01:56.270 --> 00:01:57.540 2. To the Lord. 00:01:58.540 --> 00:02:00.220 3. For He is good. 00:02:01.000 --> 00:02:04.420 And 4. His steadfast love endures forever. 00:02:05.180 --> 00:02:08.880 But what makes Psalm 107 so fitting for Thanksgiving is this. 00:02:09.720 --> 00:02:14.940 It's a thank you note from people who have been rescued, not people who had an easy life, 00:02:15.680 --> 00:02:19.180 people who were in deep trouble, and God intervened. 00:02:20.060 --> 00:02:24.800 If you read the whole psalm later, you'll hear about wanderers who had no home, 00:02:25.720 --> 00:02:30.780 prisoners who cried out in darkness, fools who sabotaged their own lives, 00:02:31.420 --> 00:02:33.580 and sailors who nearly sank under the waves. 00:02:34.440 --> 00:02:36.900 And in every story, the pattern repeats. 00:02:37.760 --> 00:02:43.360 It says, Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress. 00:02:44.420 --> 00:02:48.580 This is a psalm for people who have seen God move, maybe not instantly, 00:02:49.260 --> 00:02:51.900 Maybe not predictably, but faithfully. 00:02:52.960 --> 00:02:56.100 And that's what makes Psalm 107 verse 1 so powerful. 00:02:57.200 --> 00:02:58.460 It isn't naive gratitude. 00:02:59.160 --> 00:03:00.780 It's grateful remembrance. 00:03:02.180 --> 00:03:03.080 Let me tell you a story. 00:03:03.940 --> 00:03:09.120 Years ago, long before this show existed, before the lovely lady Leanne and I were married, 00:03:09.760 --> 00:03:13.300 I was in a season where I simply didn't know what God was doing. 00:03:14.300 --> 00:03:16.040 Maybe you've had a season like that too. 00:03:16.840 --> 00:03:20.980 A season where you're showing up, you're praying, you're trusting. 00:03:21.940 --> 00:03:24.100 But the threads aren't connecting yet. 00:03:25.940 --> 00:03:28.920 I remember hiking on a backpacking trip all by myself. 00:03:29.680 --> 00:03:32.260 I needed time away from everything and everyone. 00:03:33.320 --> 00:03:34.920 I was talking to the Lord and saying, 00:03:35.560 --> 00:03:37.680 Father, I don't know where this leads. 00:03:38.380 --> 00:03:42.320 I'm doing everything I know how to do, but I can't see what you're doing. 00:03:43.540 --> 00:03:45.580 What do I do? Where do I go? 00:03:46.220 --> 00:03:52.140 And right in the middle of that frustration, this verse came back to me, not in a dramatic way, 00:03:52.360 --> 00:03:55.440 but in that quiet, familiar way God often uses. 00:03:56.940 --> 00:03:59.020 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. 00:04:00.160 --> 00:04:02.780 Not give thanks because everything makes sense. 00:04:03.200 --> 00:04:05.820 Not give thanks because everything has worked out. 00:04:06.500 --> 00:04:09.580 Not give thanks because you feel strong today. 00:04:10.000 --> 00:04:13.320 Just give thanks because God is good. 00:04:14.920 --> 00:04:17.519 And His goodness doesn't depend on your clarity. 00:04:18.600 --> 00:04:22.120 His goodness doesn't wait for your circumstances to cooperate. 00:04:23.500 --> 00:04:26.420 His goodness doesn't expire if your season is difficult. 00:04:27.500 --> 00:04:33.640 His steadfast love endures forever, even when your strength does not. 00:04:35.160 --> 00:04:40.220 That moment didn't fix everything instantly, but it sort of re-centered me. 00:04:41.180 --> 00:04:45.600 It reminded me that I don't have to understand the path to trust the shepherd. 00:04:47.840 --> 00:04:50.300 Thanksgiving isn't about ignoring the hard things. 00:04:51.200 --> 00:04:54.340 It's about anchoring your heart in the truest thing. 00:04:55.040 --> 00:05:00.440 And Psalm 107 verse 1 points us to three truths worth carrying into Thanksgiving week. 00:05:01.420 --> 00:05:03.360 Number one, give thanks. 00:05:04.300 --> 00:05:07.640 Beloved, gratitude is an action, not a feeling. 00:05:08.700 --> 00:05:12.760 If you wait until you feel thankful, you may wait a long time. 00:05:13.800 --> 00:05:15.400 The psalm begins with a command. 00:05:16.020 --> 00:05:22.180 Gratitude is something you do, not because everything is perfect, but because God is present. 00:05:23.580 --> 00:05:26.740 That means you can be grateful and grieving. 00:05:27.800 --> 00:05:30.060 You can be grateful and confused. 00:05:30.980 --> 00:05:33.220 You can be grateful and in process. 00:05:34.840 --> 00:05:37.060 Gratitude is not a denial of reality. 00:05:37.920 --> 00:05:40.540 It's a declaration of God's reality. 00:05:41.580 --> 00:05:43.560 Number two, for He is good. 00:05:44.780 --> 00:05:46.300 That's a reason that doesn't change. 00:05:47.040 --> 00:05:48.800 God's goodness is not seasonal. 00:05:49.720 --> 00:05:51.640 God's goodness is not fragile. 00:05:52.700 --> 00:05:55.380 God's goodness is not up for negotiation. 00:05:57.200 --> 00:06:04.280 When the Bible says God is good, it is describing His character, not the current status of your circumstances. 00:06:05.420 --> 00:06:08.220 And that kind of goodness is something you can count on. 00:06:10.020 --> 00:06:13.380 3. His steadfast love endures forever. 00:06:14.780 --> 00:06:16.920 It's a love that does not evaporate. 00:06:17.900 --> 00:06:20.680 There are a lot of loves in this world that don't endure. 00:06:21.720 --> 00:06:22.660 Conditional love. 00:06:23.260 --> 00:06:24.200 Performative love. 00:06:25.040 --> 00:06:27.280 Love that disappears when you fail. 00:06:28.420 --> 00:06:31.040 Love that dries up when you stop being useful. 00:06:32.120 --> 00:06:34.300 But God's love is covenant love. 00:06:34.980 --> 00:06:39.540 loyal love, enduring love, love that outlasts you. 00:06:40.530 --> 00:06:42.760 He loved you before you took your first breath, 00:06:43.450 --> 00:06:45.920 and He will love you beyond your last breath, 00:06:46.460 --> 00:06:48.960 and He will love you through everything in between. 00:06:49.880 --> 00:06:52.820 That, right there, is a reason for Thanksgiving. 00:06:55.240 --> 00:06:55.920 Let's be honest. 00:06:56.590 --> 00:07:00.320 For some of you, Thanksgiving is not an entirely joyful holiday. 00:07:01.240 --> 00:07:03.840 It brings up the chair that's empty this year, 00:07:04.380 --> 00:07:05.580 The job that ended. 00:07:06.260 --> 00:07:08.280 The relationship that fractured. 00:07:09.080 --> 00:07:11.160 The diagnosis that changed everything. 00:07:12.220 --> 00:07:14.680 The year that took more out of you than you expected. 00:07:16.060 --> 00:07:18.180 If that's you, then listen closely. 00:07:19.340 --> 00:07:22.320 Biblical gratitude doesn't require pretending. 00:07:23.300 --> 00:07:25.040 It requires remembering. 00:07:26.260 --> 00:07:27.520 Remembering His goodness. 00:07:28.540 --> 00:07:29.880 Remembering His nearness. 00:07:30.880 --> 00:07:32.940 Remembering His faithfulness. 00:07:34.160 --> 00:07:37.840 remembering His promise to never leave you or forsake you. 00:07:39.260 --> 00:07:40.840 Psalm 34, 18 says, 00:07:41.280 --> 00:07:43.200 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted. 00:07:44.220 --> 00:07:44.540 Near. 00:07:45.480 --> 00:07:45.700 Close. 00:07:47.160 --> 00:07:47.420 Present. 00:07:48.800 --> 00:07:52.600 A God who stays is a God you can thank, even in tears. 00:07:53.900 --> 00:07:57.320 Let me speak directly to you, the Lifespring family, for a moment. 00:07:58.100 --> 00:08:01.060 Every week, when you listen, when you share episodes, 00:08:01.920 --> 00:08:08.440 When you send a note, when you pray for me or the show, you are part of this expression of gratitude. 00:08:09.860 --> 00:08:14.180 The Lifespring family exists because God is good, because He is faithful, 00:08:14.680 --> 00:08:20.700 and because His people respond to His goodness with generosity, encouragement, and love. 00:08:21.780 --> 00:08:23.620 I'm grateful for you, deeply. 00:08:24.760 --> 00:08:30.920 And while we're talking about gratitude, there's someone in my life I thank God for every single day. 00:08:31.620 --> 00:08:37.560 If you've been with me for very long, you've heard me mention her before, my wife, the lovely Lady Leanne. 00:08:38.460 --> 00:08:43.479 She has walked with me through some of the best seasons of my life, and some of the hardest. 00:08:44.480 --> 00:08:49.680 She's prayed for me when I didn't know what to pray, encouraged me when the road was long, 00:08:50.040 --> 00:08:53.380 and reminded me of God's goodness in ways only she can. 00:08:54.060 --> 00:08:55.140 And I'll tell you something. 00:08:55.820 --> 00:08:58.780 When Scripture says God's steadfast love endures forever, 00:08:58.840 --> 00:09:05.980 I see glimpses of that in the way Leanne loves, gives, listens, and brightens the world around her. 00:09:07.040 --> 00:09:11.200 So today, in this season of gratitude, I thank God for her. 00:09:11.720 --> 00:09:16.040 And I thank God for every person listening who has someone like that in their life, 00:09:16.500 --> 00:09:19.260 someone who quietly reflects the love of God. 00:09:20.440 --> 00:09:24.200 And with all that in mind, the goodness of God, the people He uses, 00:09:24.920 --> 00:09:27.740 the love He pours out in a thousand different ways, 00:09:28.180 --> 00:09:30.820 Let's take all of it into a moment of prayer. 00:09:33.900 --> 00:09:34.320 Let's pray. 00:09:34.980 --> 00:09:36.480 Father, thank you. 00:09:37.320 --> 00:09:41.960 Not just for the gifts we see, but for the goodness and the blessings that are always there. 00:09:42.960 --> 00:09:44.740 Thank you for your steadfast love. 00:09:45.220 --> 00:09:46.160 A love that stays. 00:09:46.720 --> 00:09:47.700 A love that carries. 00:09:48.440 --> 00:09:51.120 A love that does not end when our strength does. 00:09:52.080 --> 00:09:54.900 Teach us to remember your goodness this Thanksgiving, Lord. 00:09:55.540 --> 00:09:57.800 Teach us to see your hand in every season. 00:09:57.920 --> 00:10:00.300 and teach us to give thanks, 00:10:01.220 --> 00:10:02.360 not because life is simple, 00:10:02.950 --> 00:10:04.820 but because you are faithful. 00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:08.860 And Father, thank you for the people you place in our lives, 00:10:09.400 --> 00:10:11.620 the encouragers, the steady ones, 00:10:12.240 --> 00:10:14.200 the ones whose presence feels like grace. 00:10:15.220 --> 00:10:17.520 Thank you for the way you love us through them. 00:10:18.620 --> 00:10:20.600 In Jesus' name, amen. 00:10:27.560 --> 00:10:32.120 Beloved, if this episode helped you to be more thankful or see God's goodness a little clearer, 00:10:32.790 --> 00:10:37.260 would you consider returning some of that value? Time. Tell someone about the show. 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:44.600 Talent. Share your art or creativity. Treasure. Stream sats or donate dollars at 00:10:44.910 --> 00:10:47.260 support.lifespringmedia.com. 00:10:51.220 --> 00:10:56.300 This is a weekly show. Every Tuesday at 10 p.m. Pacific, I publish Verses We Missed. 00:10:56.640 --> 00:10:59.300 It's your midweek breath of scripture and grace. 00:11:00.530 --> 00:11:03.500 Until next time, may God remind you of His goodness, 00:11:04.320 --> 00:11:06.320 surround you with His steadfast love, 00:11:07.000 --> 00:11:10.520 and fill your heart with the kind of gratitude that cannot be shaken. 00:11:11.760 --> 00:11:13.020 May God bless you richly. 00:11:13.460 --> 00:11:14.420 My name is Steve Webb. 00:11:15.270 --> 00:11:15.420 Bye.