Thanksgiving 2

Thanksgiving Part 2 In our last post, we noted thanksgiving is a kingdom of God principle, and one that Jesus and the apostle Paul practiced continually. Let’s look at this principle and godly trait more closely throughout scripture to establish it as a foundation for our lives. First, the scripture instructs us to be thankful. Here are examples. Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. Psalm 30:4 Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. Psalm 97:12 O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. Psalm 105:1 Praise the LORD! Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Psalm 106:1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Psalm 136:1 There are a plethora of other passages telling us to give thanks unto the Lord. You will notice in the above passages, not only the command to thank the Lord, but the reason. He is good! His mercy endures forever! That should be reason enough to thank Him throughout all ages. Let’s look at New Testament passages to illustrate the importance of living a life of thanksgiving. …in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1Thessalonians 5:18 Notice, in everything, not for everything. No matter what we face, we must learn to give God thanks. We can thank Him despite the circumstance. We can thank Him in advance for His mercy and grace to help us in time of need (Hebrews 4:16). I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 1Timothy 2:1 The scripture tells us to pray for leaders, and to give God thanks, as we pray and intercede on their behalf. This can be challenging to our mindset, especially if we believe the leader is not a godly person or one that should be in power. Before we dismiss this directive, let us consider the apostle Paul who wrote the admonition. He lived during the reign of very wicked emperors and kings who were persecuting the Church, yet he said we should pray for leaders and give God thanks. No, he was not saying to agree with any of their egregious or nefarious plans or actions, but to seek God on their behalf that they may come to the knowledge of God and use their platform for good and not evil. 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 Praise and thanksgiving can often ‘feel’ like a sacrifice. It may seem dry at first, but as we give ourselves to it more fully, our hearts will become engaged and full of sincere gratitude that bubbles up like a fountain. Thanksgiving is an eternal kingdom principle that resonates throughout the Kingdom of heaven. Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, Revelation 4:9 …saying: "We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned. Revelation 11:17 When we realize we brought nothing into the world and will carry nothing out (1 Timothy 6:7) and every good thing we have is from the Father above (James 1:7) and He has provided us all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3) and blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ (Ephesians 1:3) we should be inspired to give Him thanks continually. One of the tests we face every day is choosing to be thankful in a selfish and unthankful culture. It must be something we work at and constantly practice because it is not a natural tendency for most, if we are honest. Let’s look at Hebrews 13 again, and endeavor to make this our lifestyle from this point onwards. 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 We can all find much to be thankful for each day. If the neighbor’s dog is barking, be thankful you can hear. If you owe money on your taxes, at least be thankful you had income. If there is a pile of dishes in the sink, be thankful you had food to eat. More importantly, let us be thankful for salvation through grace. Let us be thankful God will never leave us nor forsake us. And let us be thankful His mercies are new every day (Ephesians 2:8-9, Hebrews 13:5; Lamentations 3:22-23). As you read and study God’s Word, the Bible, look for passages that highlight God’s goodness, His kindness and provision, and stop to give Him thanks. As you continue to do this, you will develop and habit of thanksgiving and be more aware of the wonderful things He has done in your life to bring you this far. Oh, give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Psalm 136:1 A new topic next time. Until then, may God our Father and the Lord Jesus richly bless and keep you! James Brown CST 06/21/2022