October 12, 2025 - How to Transform Your Life Through Expressing Gratitude to God

“Unwell, and much in prayer, he heard a voice saying, ‘In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, arise, and believe, and thou shalt be healed of all thy infirmities.’ It was, in fact, the voice of [a woman] who had felt herself commanded in a dream to say these words. Charles got out of bed and, opening his Bible, read from the Psalms: ‘He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God.’ Followed by the first verse of Isaiah 40, “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people,” saith your God.’ He wrote in his journal, ‘I now found myself at peace with God, and rejoiced in the hope of loving Christ.’”

Two days later, he began a hymn upon his conversion, [in which he wrote]

Where shall my wandering soul begin?

How shall I all to heaven aspire?

A slave redeemed from death and sin,

A brand plucked from eternal fire,

How shall I equal triumphs raise,

And sing my great Deliverer’s praise!”

Charles Wesley continued to praise his Lord and Saviour for the next fifty years. “According to Frank Baker [Charles Wesley] averaged ten poetic lines a day for fifty years and wrote 8,989 hymns, …who produced “Hark! The Hearld Angels Sing, “And Can It Be,” “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing,” “Love Divine, all Loves Excelling,” “Jesus, Lover of My Soul,” “Christ the Lord is Risen Today,” “Soldiers of Christ, Arise,” and Rejoice! The Lord is King!”

The nature of worship, spoken or sung, is to express our deepest gratitude toward God for who He is and all that He has done for us. When set to music, it can move us emotionally, but the message is critical. It transforms the worshiper, but it is heightened when gathered with others. God’s presence is often deeply manifested in speaking into our hearts as His word is ministered to us.

As we celebrate this Thanksgiving season, may our hearts and expressions of gratitude to God ascend to God, bringing praise to Him, but also impacting and transforming our attitudes and actions. As we examine the Old Testament songbook, the Psalms, we find numerous expressions, one of which is a great hymn of praise.

Tremper Longman writes regarding the nature of a hymn. “Hymns are easily recognized by their exuberant praise of the Lord. The psalmist pulls out all the stops in his rejoicing in God’s goodness. His praise is exuberant because the psalmist is very conscious of God’s presence.

Though there are many different types of hymns, almost all of them share a similar basic structure.

1. Hymns begin with a call to worship.
2. They continue by expanding on the reasons why God should be praised.
3. Hymns often include, and sometimes conclude with, further calls to praise.”

We gain insight into the setting of Psalm 147, which is one of the later ones not only in the canon but in its historical context. It is written to celebrate the return of the exiles from captivity and the restoration of Jerusalem. God has faithfully fulfilled his promises to his people, particularly the words of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel.