Tag: Give Thanks

¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

We are to serve Him with gladness. We are to come into His presence with singing because it was God who created us in His own image. We are not self-made people. We are the sheep of His pasture.

He loves us and cares for us, and He is faithful even when we are unfaithful, and all He wants is our obedience and our gratitude. Our thanks. Therefore, we should give thanks to God for all He has done for us and for who He is.

But you know what? God wants us to take it a step higher. He wants us to not only give thanks to Him but to live a life of gratitude. He wants us to live like we are thankful for life. Thankful for the things we enjoy. Thankful for the things we take for granted, like family and close friends. Thankful for the food we eat. Jesus never ate one bite of food without giving thanks. Should we do any less?

I read this quote by William Arthur Ward:

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. Dear LORD, please forgive me for not being more thankful. I’m sorry for all of the times I have complained and only saw my glass as half full. Thank You for all that You’ve done for me and given to me. Thank You for Your promises. Please help me to be more thankful and more grateful with each and every breath. Thank You for all the good plans You have for my life; help me to follow them. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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⁸ Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. ~ Genesis 22:8

God asked Abraham to do the unthinkable. To take his only son Isaac, whom he loved, and sacrifice him. Abraham, being the faithful and trusting servant that he is, did as God commanded. So, as they (Abraham and Isaac) venture up the Mountain, Isaac looks around and notices that they have the fire, they have the wood, and his father, Abraham, is carrying the knife, but there is no sacrifice. So, puzzled, he asks his father, “Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

Abraham’s response is so profound he says, “God will provide for Himself a lamb.” Isn’t that remarkable? And sure enough, God did provide for Himself a ram. This is the same for us today. God has called each of us to sacrifice our own self on the altar. Not physically, but spiritually. Why? Because Jesus already came as our only sacrifice. It was never God’s plan that man should die, but that God Himself would die for man. Our only acceptable offering for sin. Jesus is the Lamb of God, the Lamb that God Himself provided, the Lamb that taketh away the sin of the world.

Thank You, Jesus, for Your sacrifice. Thank You for taking my sin upon Yourself. Thank You for being my sacrifice even though I don’t deserve it. Thank You for redeeming me and reconciling me back to You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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¹¹ On the way to Jerusalem He was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. ¹² And as He entered a village, He was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance ¹³ and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” ¹⁴ When He saw them He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. ¹⁵ Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; ¹⁶ and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving Him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. ¹⁷ Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? ¹⁸ Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” ¹⁹ And He said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” ~ Luke 17:11-19^NIV

There were ten lepers. Jesus spoke to them from afar off and told them to present themselves to the priest. There was no miracle. No change. Nothing immediately happened. In fact, I’m willing to bet that if they hadn’t walked in obedience to the high priest, they would have never been healed because that’s when they noticed their healing. Then, only one returned. A Samaritan. The Samaritans aren’t Jews of any kind.

Their ancestors were foreigners, from all over, that Sennacherib, King of Assyria, removed all Jews from Samaria and placed foreigners in their place. He did this because he had just seized Israel, and Samaria was Israel’s capital. They then began having plagues because of the amount of idolatry and corruption, to the point that the king sent a captured priest back to Bethel to teach them how to live in the land and not offend God. They then began to mix their religions with Judaism.

This is what the Samaritan man came out of. Paganism mixed with Judaism, yet he was the only one who returned to Jesus to thank Him. And he was the only person who received salvation. That word healed or made well that Jesus tells him, doesn’t mean physical healing. He already received that. It’s the Greek word Sozo, which means full entire healing and deliverance. It means to be saved. 9 Jews who had the Scriptures, the Prophets, and all the teachings of God in its entirety saw their healing and kept walking, but one man who had generations of mixing paganism and Judaism came back and fell at Jesus’ feet when he saw he was healed.

So many of us who grew up in the Church are missing out on a real relationship with Christ because we take it for granted. We aren’t as grateful. We aren’t seeking Him the way we should. We aren’t giving Him the thanksgiving and praise He deserves. While those who have never set foot in Church are finding Christ and surpassing us in the things of God. We’ve become like the nine instead of like the one.

Dear LORD, please help me to never take you for granted. Please teach me to love You the way You deserve. Teach me to follow you. Teach me to be grateful and thankful. Help me to always seek You with all that is within me. Even if no one else comes to You, LORD, help me to be the one that does. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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²⁹ When you sacrifice a thank offering to the Lord, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf. ~ Leviticus 22:29

It is said that the LORD loves a cheerful giver. During the season of Thanksgiving, it’s easier to remember to be thankful for what we have, but when the season of Thanksgiving has passed, it gets harder. The problem is that if we’re only thankful during that one week, then the LORD won’t be too happy with us. Our thanksgiving is like bringing an offering to God. And in return, our God will bless us. Why? Because our sacrifice of thanksgiving brings joy to the LORD. Just as we feel more obligated to bless a thankful person, so does God.

Even our bodies react differently to our own thanksgiving. We begin to see the world differently. Our hearts become softer. Our love begins to grow. Our hope begins to grow. To be thankful isn’t just for God or others; it’s also for us.

Thank you, LORD, for all You’ve given me. Thank you for Your many blessings. Help me to always be grateful in all situations. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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⁷ Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you. ⁸ When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when He divided all mankind, He set up boundaries for the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel. ⁹ For the Lord’s portion is His people, Jacob His allotted inheritance. ~ Deuteronomy 32:7-9

I want you to understand that God parted up the earth and gave it to the rest of the people of the world as their inheritance but kept the land of Israel for Himself. How do you think God reacts to those who don’t appreciate and despise the inheritance He gives to them? God hates someone who despises his or her inheritance, but He loves the one who loves and appreciates his or her inheritance. That is why it is written, Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated, because Esau despised his birthright.

It is very insulting to God when He goes out of His way to give you something, and you despise it. How can you say you love God but hate what He has given you? When you love someone, you love being with them, you love the things they love, and you love the things that they give you, especially when it is really good things.

I believe it is the agenda of the globalists who have infiltrated our school system and brought about hate for our own country so that their agenda of a one-world government, with a one-world ruler, and with a one-world religion will be accomplished. That is not God’s plan; that is the plan of the enemy, so do not fall for it.

God does not want you to hate the nation in which He has brought you. Many people have migrated from their own birth countries and settled in foreign countries because of better opportunities and a better way of life for themselves and their families. Others, God has called to go and be missionaries, bringing the good news of the Gospel to its people. Either way, God wants you to love the place where you have settled or where He has brought you, and He wants you to pray for its well-being and its prosperity and peace so that you yourself will also prosper and have peace.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Appreciate Your Inheritance.

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¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

One of my favorite quotes, which I’ve been trying to do a better job of putting into practice, says, “Appreciate the little things because one day you’ll look back and realize they were the big things.” It’s the little things in life that lay the foundation for the big things. The only way to ever appreciate and be thankful for and grateful for the big things is to appreciate, be thankful for, and be grateful for the little things along the way.

If you’re battling an addiction and can’t seem to get free, break it one day at a time. If you’re battling fear, break it one fear at a time. When you see a victory, regardless of how small, praise. Rejoice. Give thanks. Why? Because you are now one more step closer to freedom than you were before, and that is something to be thankful for.

We have to be thankful. We have to stir up the Spirit of Thanksgiving within us. This isn’t always a simple task. Sometimes this is rough, but it’s something we strive towards because the LORD loves and blesses a grateful heart.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Stir Up A Spirit of Thanksgiving.

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