Sure
• 1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
• 2 Give thanks to the God of gods. His faithful love endures forever.
• 3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His faithful love endures forever."
Sure
• "Psalms 105:1: Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done."
1 Thessalonians 5:16–18
• "Daily Verses (NLT): Encourages believers to always be joyful, never stop praying, and be thankful in all circumstances.
Sure
• "Colossians 3:17: Instructs that whatever you do or say should be done as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Sure
• Psalm 92:1: States that it is good to give thanks to the Lord and sing praises to the Most High.
GIVING THANKSTHE COMMANDALWAYSTHE TIMEFRAMEFOR ALL THINGSTHE SCOPEUNTO GODTHE SOURCEIN THE NAME OF JESUSTHE ONE SAVIOR
The Blesser is so much greater than all the blessings!
GIVE THANKS TO HIM.
A Christian Heart That Sees the Giver
“Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Ephesians 5:20 KJV
Paul's words are remarkably simple, but they reach into the deepest places of Christian living:
GIVE THANKS IN ALL KINDS OF CIRCUMSTANCES.
ALWAYS.
FOR ALL THINGS.
UNTO GOD.
IN THE NAME OF JESUS.
Biblical thanksgiving is not merely saying, "Thank You, God," when life is going our way. It is learning to look at life through the character and promises of God. The Christian does not have to pretend that everything is pleasant, painless, or good in itself. Scripture never asks us to call evil good, tragedy enjoyable, or suffering painless.
Rather, we learn to thank God in every circumstance because God remains God in every circumstance.
That distinction matters.
Paul says:
“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV
Notice what Scripture says: in everything, not necessarily for every evil thing that happens.
We can hate sin and still thank God for His holiness.
We can grieve deeply and still thank God for His presence.
We can suffer and still thank Him for sustaining grace.
We can face uncertainty and still trust His sovereignty.
We can lose something precious without losing Christ.
Thanksgiving does not deny the wound. It remembers the Healer.
THE GIVER IS GREATER THAN THE GIFT
James gives us the foundation:
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights.”
James 1:17 KJV
Every legitimate blessing ultimately points beyond itself.
The meal points to the Provider.
The family points to the Giver of life.
The sunrise points to the Creator.
A faithful friend points to God's kindness.
Strength points to God's sustaining grace.
Forgiveness points to the cross.
The church points us toward Christ's body.
And salvation points us unmistakably to Jesus.
The mature Christian eventually learns that the greatest reason for thanksgiving is not merely what God gives us, but who God is.
Jonathan Edwards made essentially this distinction when he wrote that genuine gratitude to God arises from love for God Himself, not merely delight in His benefits.
That is a searching question for the heart:
If God gave me nothing more than He has already given me in Christ, would Christ Himself still be enough reason for me to give thanks?
The gospel answers with an overwhelming yes.
We have received mercy we could never earn, forgiveness we could never purchase, righteousness we could never manufacture, and eternal life we could never deserve.
Paul could therefore write:
“Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”
2 Corinthians 9:15 KJV
The Christian's deepest thanksgiving is ultimately Christ-centered thanksgiving.
THANKSGIVING CHANGES WHAT WE NOTICE
Our hearts naturally drift toward what is missing.
We notice the unanswered prayer.
The disappointing conversation.
The bill.
The diagnosis.
The inconvenience.
The person who hurt us.
The opportunity we wanted but did not receive.
Thanksgiving teaches us to stop long enough to notice grace.
It does not mean pretending those difficulties do not exist. It means refusing to let them become the only things we see.
Paul tells believers:
“Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.”
Colossians 4:2 KJV
Prayer without thanksgiving can become a catalog of demands. Thanksgiving reminds us that we are speaking to a Father who has already been faithful.
That is why Paul joins prayer, petition, thanksgiving, and peace:
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
Philippians 4:6 KJV
And then comes the promise:
“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:7 KJV
Thanksgiving does not manipulate God into giving us what we want. It redirects us toward the God we already have.
THANKFULNESS IS AN ANTIDOTE TO ENTITLEMENT
An ungrateful heart eventually begins to believe:
"I deserve more."
"I should have better."
"Why don't I have what they have?"
"God owes me."
Thanksgiving says:
"Everything good I have is from God's mercy and grace--it's from Him."
That is why Scripture repeatedly connects thanksgiving with God's goodness and steadfast love:
Psalm 106:1; Psalm 107:1; Psalm 118:1; Psalm 136:1; and 1 Chronicles 16:34 all call God's people to give thanks because He is good and His mercy endures forever.
The thankful Christian does not merely count possessions. He counts mercies.
A Christian may have little by the world's standards and still possess an incalculable treasure in Christ.
And sometimes the greatest spiritual wealth is discovered when the lesser things are taken away.
Job lost much, but he could still say:
“The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”
Job 1:21 KJV
That is not shallow optimism.
That is worship in the ashes.
THANKSGIVING DOES NOT REQUIRE US TO PRETEND
There is a dangerous counterfeit of Christian thankfulness that sounds spiritual but is actually dishonest:
"Everything is wonderful!"
No. Sometimes everything is not wonderful.
Sin is not wonderful.
Death is not wonderful.
Abuse is not wonderful.
Betrayal is not wonderful.
Injustice is not wonderful.
Suffering is not wonderful.
The Bible does not teach us to call darkness light.
Instead, Scripture teaches us to bring the darkness honestly before God.
The Psalms contain tears, complaints, questions, fear, anger, grief, and bewilderment. Yet again and again, the psalmist turns his eyes toward God.
That is biblical thanksgiving.
I may not understand what God is doing, but I know who God is.
I may not like this circumstance, but I can trust the One who holds me in it.
I may be hurting, but I am not abandoned.
I may not see the purpose, but I know God's character.
Romans 8:28 gives the Christian this profound confidence:
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28 KJV
Paul does not say that all things are good.
He says God works all things together for good.
That is a vastly different statement.
THANKFULNESS CAN BECOME A SACRIFICE OF PRAISE
Hebrews says:
“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.”
Hebrews 13:15 KJV
Sometimes thanksgiving feels natural.
Sometimes it is costly.
There are mornings when your heart is overflowing.
There are other mornings when you have to obey through tears.
That is why Hebrews calls it a sacrifice of praise.
A thankful heart is not necessarily a heart that feels happy about everything. It is a heart that deliberately turns toward God.
You can cry and worship.
You can grieve and worship.
You can ask hard questions and worship.
You can be disappointed and worship.
You can say, "Lord, I do not understand this," while also saying, "But I still trust You."
That is not hypocrisy.
That is faith.
THANKSGIVING LEADS US BACK TO JESUS
Paul repeatedly places thanksgiving through Christ and in the name of Christ.
Ephesians 5:20 says:
“Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Colossians says:
“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”
Colossians 3:17 KJV
That little phrase, "by him," matters.
We do not approach God on the basis of our goodness.
We approach God through Christ.
Our thanksgiving ultimately passes through the cross.
The Christian looks at everything through Calvary and says:
"Whatever else I have lost, I have not lost Jesus."
And because Jesus has conquered death, even the grave cannot have the final word.
Paul's triumphant declaration is:
“But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 15:57 KJV
That is why Christian thanksgiving can survive circumstances that would crush mere optimism.
Our hope is not based on having a comfortable life.
Our hope is based on having a risen Savior.
THANKSGIVING AND WORSHIP BELONG TOGETHER
Psalm 100 gives us the picture:
“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”
Psalm 100:4 KJV
Thanksgiving is not merely good manners toward God.
It is worship.
It recognizes reality:
God is the Giver.
I am the receiver.
Grace is undeserved.
God is good.
Christ is sufficient.
Therefore, I give thanks.
John Piper has emphasized this same God-centered foundation, warning that Christian gratitude must ultimately delight in God Himself rather than merely in God's gifts.
That is an important spiritual safeguard.
We do not want God's gifts so much that we forget God.
The Blesser is better than the blessing.
THANKFULNESS IS NOT JUST A NOVEMBER ATTITUDE
Thanksgiving is not supposed to live on one Thursday in November.
It is supposed to become part of the Christian's way of life.
Paul says:
“Giving thanks always for all things.”
Ephesians 5:20 KJV
Always.
Not occasionally.
Not seasonally.
Not only when the bank account is healthy.
Not only when the doctor gives good news.
Not only when everyone in the family gets along.
Not only when our plans succeed.
Always.
Barna research has found that among American adults who pray regularly, gratitude and thanksgiving are among the most common motivations for prayer. In one Barna study, 62% identified gratitude and thanksgiving as a reason they pray; among evangelicals in that study, the figure was 86%.
That statistic is interesting, but Scripture gives us something far more authoritative than a survey.
God Himself commands His people to give thanks.
A THANKFUL CHRISTIAN SEES DIFFERENTLY
Imagine two people sitting at the same table.
One sees what is missing.
The other sees what has been given.
One complains about the food.
The other remembers that millions of people would gladly have the meal.
One sees an ordinary morning.
The other sees another undeserved day of life.
One sees an inconvenience.
The other sees another opportunity to trust God.
The circumstances may be identical.
The vision is different.
Thanksgiving trains the heart to recognize grace hiding in plain sight.
A warm home.
A faithful spouse.
A friend who calls.
A church family.
A Bible.
A quiet moment.
A meal.
A sunrise.
A second chance.
A prayer answered.
A prayer not yet answered.
The strength to keep going.
The mercy to repent.
The privilege of serving.
The promise of heaven.
And above everything else:
Jesus Christ.
"COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS ONE BY ONE"
The old hymn Count Your Blessings, written by Johnson Oatman Jr. in 1897, captures this practical discipline:
“Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.”
There is wisdom in that simple counsel.
Sometimes the cure for spiritual forgetfulness is deliberate remembrance.
Psalm 103 begins:
“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”
Psalm 103:2 KJV
Do not forget.
Remember His forgiveness.
Remember His mercy.
Remember His faithfulness.
Remember His promises.
Remember His patience.
Remember His salvation.
Remember the cross.
Remember the empty tomb.
Remember that you are not your own savior.
Remember that you did not create grace.
You received it.
THE CHRISTIAN'S DAILY PRACTICE
So perhaps the question is not merely:
"What am I thankful for?"
A deeper question is:
"Am I becoming a thankful person?"
Before complaining, pause.
Before demanding, remember.
Before envying, count.
Before worrying, pray.
Before assuming you deserve more, remember grace.
Before allowing bitterness to take root, remember God's mercy.
Before looking at what someone else has, look again at what God has already given you.
And when circumstances become painful, do not manufacture a fake smile.
Bring your honest heart to God.
Say:
"Father God up in heaven, I do not thank You because this pain is good cuz it ain't. I thank You because You are good even when I am hurting. I do not understand everything You are doing or are allowing into may life. But I know You are faithful and true. I do not know what tomorrow holds. But I know who holds me if I get a tomorrow. And I thank You for Jesus Christ."
That is biblical thanksgiving.
THE GREATEST THANKSGIVING
Ultimately, the Christian's greatest reason for thanksgiving is not health, wealth, family, career, comfort, success, or even another day of earthly life.
It is Jesus.
The cross means my sin does not have to be the end of my story.
The resurrection means death does not have the final word.
Grace means I do not have to earn what God freely gives.
The Holy Spirit means God has not left me alone.
The Word means I am not without truth.
Prayer means I can approach my Father.
The church means I do not have to walk alone.
And heaven means this present life, however beautiful or painful, is not the final chapter.
So give thanks.
When the table is full, give thanks.
When the table is nearly empty, give thanks.
When prayers are answered, give thanks.
When you are still waiting, give thanks.
When you understand, give thanks.
When you do not understand, trust and give thanks.
When you are rejoicing, give thanks.
When you are weeping, bring those tears to God and give thanks.
Not because everything that happens is good.
But because God is good.
Not because every circumstance is pleasant.
But because Christ is present.
Not because we know what tomorrow holds.
But because our Father holds tomorrow.
And not because we deserve His goodness.
But because grace has been poured out upon us through Jesus Christ.
“O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.”
Psalm 118:1 KJV
Thanksgiving, then, is more than a holiday.
It is a habit of grace.
It is a discipline of remembrance.
It is an act of worship.
It is a weapon against entitlement.
It is an antidote to spiritual forgetfulness.
It is a declaration that God remains worthy when circumstances change. And for the Christianl..
It can become a way of life:
Thank God in the morning.
Thank Him through the workday.
Thank Him around the table.
Thank Him in the ordinary.
Thank Him in the extraordinary.
Thank Him in abundance.
Thank Him in need.
Thank Him in joy.
Thank Him through tears.
Because He keeps giving grace.
And we keep receiving it.
So give thanks all year long, because God's mercy does not take a holiday. KnowGod.org
No comments:
Post a Comment