"Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise." (Psalm 106:47)

October 31, 2026

Dear friends,

As I write this, the sun is shining brightly through the fall colors around us here in the New River valley. It has been a very pleasant autumn, and we have enjoyed wonderful walks lately in the crisp weather. My wife loves to walk. I love to stop walking to take pictures... of leaves, of ferns, of mushrooms, of sun and shadows. So, we walk and stop walking, in turn, while still enjoying each other and our beautiful surroundings. It works.

Today is celebrated by many as Reformation Day in memory of a then-obscure Augustinian monk nailing 95 points for debate on the Castle Church door in Wittenberg, Germany. The action sparked a seismic shift in Europe over the next few decades from the unquestioned authority of papal decrees back to the glorious authority of Scripture itself. At least, for many. Of course, the Renaissance, the printing press, and national politics all played their roles, too. Along the way, the nature and role of faith, grace, and the absolute sufficiency of Christ's salvation would be re-examined.

Whatever may be your take on these events -- whether past or present developments -- the Scriptures teach that God is sovereign over the history and affairs of nations and peoples and churches and all creation, for that matter. I for one am very thankful for the Reformation, as well as for God's providence in the pre-Reformation church.

My wife and I are finishing the fourth book of Psalms, and tomorrow's reading will be Psalm 106. Like the Pentateuch, the Psalms are collected into five "books". The last four psalms of the fourth book have a common theme of thankfulness, and each of the four psalms focuses on a particular aspect.

Psalm 103 opens with "Bless the LORD, O my soul... forget not all his benefits..." and goes on to recount the blessings of being in relationship with God. The focus is upon the character and nature of God, as experienced by those of us in covenant with the Lord. Why not take a sheet of paper and make a list and pray through that list, giving thanks for each benefit we have?

Psalm 104 opens with "Bless the LORD, O my soul! ... you are very great!" The focus of this psalm is God as Creator and his care for all of his creatures. Again, take notice and give thanks for his wisdom and watchfulness over creation, both in depth and breadth. It closes with, "I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being."

Psalm 105 opens with "Oh give thanks to the LORD..." and follows with an historical recounting of God's dealing with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and the deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage. It is thanksgiving for salvation, for deliverance, for God's work in history. We would extend that work to the Cross, the empty tomb, and beyond. Give thanks for God's work(s) of salvation in history.

Psalm 106 opens with "Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!" The focus here is upon God's providential mercy, again seen in history, despite failings and sins of his people. We should give thanks for the Lord's patience and longsuffering, and for his wisdom and mercy when chastisement has been needed. We give thanks that he will not abandon his people. The psalm ends: "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, 'Amen!' Praise the LORD!" (106:48)

Perhaps, you might like to use these psalms as a prayer guide this month, leading up to Thanksgiving. Again, why not use a notebook or white board to keep track of all the things for which we should give thanks? (I think there is a lot!)

IN OTHER LINKS.

-- Everyone (really, everyone) needs to hear this story: "Why I Became a Christian." An interview with Ayaan Hirsi Ali.

-- For Reformation Day, an interview with Dr. Ed Blum, one of my former professors, on "How We Got Our English Bible."

-- Martin Luther in 5 Latin Phrases (not the ones you think).

-- You can join Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church online tomorrow night (6:30 pm) for the International Day of Prayer for the persecuted church.

-- Just released: A Cambridge Christmas (2026), John Rutter and the Cambridge Singers. Let the Holidays begin!

FINAL QUOTE.

“Christ ought to be preached with this goal in mind — that we might be moved to faith in him so that he is not just a distant historical figure but actually Christ for you and me.” (Martin Luther, On the Freedom of a Christian, 1520)

And that's it for this week!

Sandy

Afterwords is an occasional newsletter on topics of interest to me (Sandy Young) since my retirement from full-time pastoral ministry. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.