Lesson 10: Thankfulness
 www.bible.com/bible/59/psa.119 

 65 You have dealt well with your servant, O LORD, according to your word.
66 Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments.
67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word.
68 You are good and do good; teach me your statutes.
69 The insolent smear me with lies, but with my whole heart I keep your precepts;
70 their heart is unfeeling like fat, but I delight in your law.
71 It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.
72 The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
 
Continuing from our last lesson, one of the most basic changes in our life must be a change to thankfulness. All through Scripture we are asked to be thankful, but here we look at two other verses – Ephesians 5:20 says we are to be thankful FOR all things, and 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says we are to be thankful IN all things. Let’s look at how our verses today in Psalm 119 give us examples of this.

The first verse says God has dealt well with us. Do we feel this way when we are ill or have lost our job or a loved one has died even though we prayed God would spare their life? We can if we follow the next verse and ask God to teach us good judgment and knowledge.


Read in verse 67 why we are thankful for bad things that come to our life – those times teach us to follow Jesus more closely. Just as we read in verse 68, we begin to see the events He allows into our life turn out to be good – just as He promises in Romans 8:28.

Verses 69 and 70 tell us others around us will not understand, they may attack us or try to do us harm, and may even succeed by worldly understanding – but they can never separate us from God and His love (Romans 8:37-39). We belong to a different kingdom than they do.

Verse 71 – through being thankful we learn to truly see and understand how the troubles of our life are good for us. Then we can truly say (from verse 72) His Word is more precious to us than much earthly wealth.