Give Thanks to the Lord of Righteousness

 

Psalm 7:17 I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness,
    and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.

This is the concluding verse of this psalm of thanksgiving. As we consider over the next three weeks this call to Thanksgiving, we want to look at Why the writers of these psalms were thankful, which in turn will help us realize how much we have to be thankful for.  In this case, we do not have to look far back into the psalm:

8 The Lord judges the peoples;

    judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness

    and according to the integrity that is in me.

9 Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end,

    and may you establish the righteous—

you who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God!

10 My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart.

11 God is a righteous judge,

    and a God who feels indignation every day.

Every day God looks down and sees unrighteousness, while He Himself is holy and righteous. The Lord is Judge - he has the authority and righteousness within Himself to do so.  The psalmist (in this case David) had found in God a just judge.  David did not consider himself perfect but made righteous by God. When we know that - that our righteousness is not our own, but comes from the righteous judge, we feel safe, protected by His shield. That is a cause for a thankful heart.