I am so excited to share the story behind my song, “Oh, Give Thanks To The Lord”, which is a part of the album titled “Sanctuary”. I received this song on April 6, 1983.
After I graduated from college in 1981, I moved to Oklahoma City and lived for a time with a good friend and his mother. My friend, Chuck, had received a vision from the Lord that included me writing hundreds of songs and multitudes of people singing them. This seemed incredulous to me since I had not been allowed to major in song-writing at the university I attended because they saw no potential in me. When my friend shared his vision with me, he also shared the vision of us singing together in a trio. With another close friend from our college days, Johnnie Ann, we formed a trio called “Spirit Song” and we soon recorded an LP - a vinyl album - called “Let the Song Be Sung” and began singing at various churches and gatherings in Oklahoma. Before we knew it, we were on a tour of the east coast of the US as an opening act for Gospel singer, Doug Oldham. We thought we had arrived.
During this period of my life, I had assumed my church music degree would land me a job as music director of a church, but the only job I could find during my first year in OKC was driving a school bus for the local school district. While there, I met a fellow bus driver who happened to be the founding pastor of a brand new church. When I told him about our trio, he invited us to minister there on several occasions. His name was Randy Miller.
After ministering at his church one Sunday morning, Randy came to me and encouraged me with the Scripture, Psalm 107:1-2, and told me he felt God was going to give me a song from these verses. Guess what? He did! Little did Randy know of the magnitude of impact these verses were to have on my life. Taking these words to heart in 1988, God led me to publicly share my testimony of what I had specifically been redeemed from. This song even came back to my mind and I began to use it again to encourage the body of Christ. When we realize our position in Christ of righteousness and holiness by virtue of His sacrificial blood, I believe we cannot help but lift up our hearts in gratitude to Him. I first sang this song with our trio, “Spirit Song”, but never got to record it because we disbanded after three years…but they were three of the best years of my life.
When it came time to release a new album from my ministry, this song came back to my memory and I included it as the finale to my album, “Sanctuary”. The verses Randy quoted to me that proved to be the catalyst and inspiration for this song are life to my soul:
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary…
Psalm 107:1-2 NASB
I Timothy 1:12-17 NASB
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
I Timothy 1:12-17 NASB
Over the coming days, take time each day to express your gratitude and thanks to God for all He has done to set you free from the hands of the enemy. An attitude of thanksgiving looks good on you and me and tends to clear the air of the confusion the lies of the enemy try to cloud our minds with.
Dennis Jernigan
To hear The Dennis Jernigan Podcast version of this blog, go to https://www.patreon.com/posts/oh-give-thanks-120393883
Photo courtesy of https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2020/04/22/11/59/thank-you-5077738_1280.jpg