Whoever offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifies me, and prepares his way so that I will show God’s salvation to him.
The first thing this verse does is give thanksgiving a weight we do not usually give it. It is called a sacrifice, which means it costs something, and it is said to glorify God, which means it is more than good manners.
The second thing it does is stranger. This kind of offering is said to prepare a way, and what comes along that way is God’s salvation being shown. The psalm links our gratitude to our sight.
That order is worth sitting with. We tend to assume we will be thankful once we can see what God is doing. The psalm suggests the reverse: the giving of thanks is part of how the seeing happens, because gratitude turns a person’s attention away from their circumstances and back to their God.
Which means a hard season is not a reason to postpone this offering. It is the reason it is called a sacrifice.