Psalms 107:31

Psalms 107:31 is a powerful call to worship and gratitude, serving as a climactic refrain within a psalm dedicated to recounting God's steadfast love and deliverance. It expresses a passionate desire for humanity to acknowledge and respond to the divine benevolence.

Context

Psalm 107 is a profound psalm of thanksgiving, illustrating various scenarios where people find themselves in distress and cry out to the Lord, who then delivers them. The psalm details four specific groups: wanderers in the wilderness (verses 4-9), prisoners in darkness (verses 10-16), those afflicted by illness due to sin (verses 17-22), and sailors tossed by storms (verses 23-32). After each narrative of deliverance, a recurring refrain appears, urging people to praise God for His goodness and wonderful works. Verse 31 is the fourth and final iteration of this plea, reinforcing the central message of divine intervention and salvation, providing a strong backdrop for understanding the verse's emphasis on gratitude.

Key Themes and Messages

• Divine Goodness and Lovingkindness: The verse highlights God's inherent nature of being good and merciful. The Hebrew word often translated as "goodness" here is chesed, which signifies God's covenantal love, steadfast mercy, and unfailing loyalty. It's a reminder that God's actions stem from His benevolent character.
• God's Wonderful Works: Beyond His character, the verse calls attention to God's active involvement in the world through His "wonderful works" (Hebrew: nifla'ot). These are His extraordinary, awe-inspiring acts of creation, preservation, deliverance, and provision for humanity. The preceding verses in Psalm 107 provide numerous examples of these miraculous interventions.
• Universal Call to Praise: The phrase "Oh that men would praise the LORD" is a fervent wish for all humanity ("the children of men") to recognize and respond with gratitude and worship. It's a universal invitation to acknowledge God's providence and care, regardless of one's background or specific experience.
• Gratitude as a Response: The verse underscores that praise and thanksgiving are the appropriate responses to God's goodness and His mighty acts. It's not just about acknowledging what God has done, but actively expressing appreciation and adoration.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "praise" in this verse, yadah (יָדָה), carries the meaning of giving thanks, confessing, and extending the hand in adoration. It implies an open, public acknowledgment of God's character and deeds. The term for "goodness," chesed (חֶסֶד), is rich with theological meaning, often rendered as "lovingkindness" or "steadfast love," pointing to God's loyal and enduring mercy. "Wonderful works," nifla'ot (נִפְלָאוֹת), refers to extraordinary, miraculous, or astonishing deeds that evoke wonder and awe, demonstrating God's power and wisdom.

Practical Application

This verse serves as a timeless reminder for believers today to cultivate a heart of gratitude. In a world often focused on challenges and complaints, Psalms 107:31 redirects our attention to God's unfailing goodness and His active role in our lives and in the world. It encourages us to:

• Reflect on God's Blessings: Take time to intentionally recall instances of God's goodness and intervention, whether personal or observed in history.
• Express Gratitude: Move beyond mere acknowledgment to actively express praise and thanksgiving in prayer, worship, and testimony, echoing the sentiment found in Psalm 100:4.
• Share His Works: Be ready to share stories of God's "wonderful works" with others, inspiring them to also praise the Lord for His goodness, similar to the call in Psalm 9:1.

Ultimately, Psalms 107:31 is a call to a lifestyle of worship, recognizing that praise is the fitting response to a God who is inherently good and ceaselessly active on behalf of "the children of men."