Tag: Thanksgiving

⁴ Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise: Be thankful unto Him, and bless His Name. ⁵ For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting; And His truth endureth to all generations. ~ Psalms 100:4-5 (KJV)

One of the most repeated lines in the entire Bible is “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His steadfast love endures forever,” or some variation of it. It appears over 30 times in the Old Testament alone—more than almost any other refrain. That tells us something: God wants this truth drilled deep into our souls, one for every day of the month… it would seem.

It is a major biblical theme that teaches that God is always good in all circumstances and that His goodness calls His people to respond with a heart of thanksgiving. Neither God’s love nor His goodness is based on any circumstances, nor on our behavior, nor on our emotions. God’s steadfast love and His enduring goodness are a part of His own Character.

God’s character is perfectly consistent. He cannot act contrary to His own nature because His integrity, His mercy, and His faithfulness are all absolute. Therefore, even if people fall away, God’s plans and purposes remain intact. God is unchanging, immutable, and cannot contradict His own essence.

Think about that for a moment. The eternal, all-powerful God—who said, “Let there be light,” and there was light, and that light has never stopped shining, who holds every atom together by the word of His power—chooses to be good to us – to you and to me. Not because we deserve it. Not because we earned it, but because goodness is who He is.

When the sun rises tomorrow morning, it will rise because God is faithful. When your heart beats another 80,000 times today without you even thinking about it, that is God being good. When you woke up this morning and your family was still safe under your roof, that is God’s mercy on display.

Thankfulness is not an optional emotion for the Christian—it is the only rational response to a God who is this good all the time. The Bible commands… encourages… and prompts us to be thankful. And when we begin to truly think about all that God has done for us, how can we be anything but thankful.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Let Thanksgiving Be Your Default.

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

This is the end of Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians. It was a letter of encouragement to them, as they had received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia (1 Thessalonians 1:6-7). They were a sounding gong to all around them. Paul even goes as far as to say that he and his companions didn’t need to speak a Word because they (the Church in Thessalonica) had already spread the Word so well. So, he just reminds them of the teachings he has already taught them and ends his letter with encouragement to continue in the faith.

This is where he states his famous words “give thanks in all circumstances” a phrase often taken out of context and/or misunderstood. See, Paul encouraged them with these words not because God’s will was for them to suffer, but because they were suffering persecution and God’s will was (and always will be) for His people to overcome the persecution and tribulation of the world. The tools he gave them to do this? Rejoice Always. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in all circumstances.

We are to give thanks IN all circumstances, not FOR all circumstances. It’s our weapon for overcoming. It’s our tool to make it through to the other side of persecution. Thanksgiving is how we enter into the gates of the LORD (Psalms 100:4). Entering the gates of the LORD is how we get renewed in our spirit. It’s how we are refreshed. It’s how we soar on wings like eagles, so that we can run and not be weary, walk and not be faint.

Giving thanks in all circumstances isn’t for God, but for us. It isn’t a cruel instruction by Paul from God. It’s a tool given to us to not only survive this world and all of its woes, but a tool to overcome this world and live a life more abundantly, regardless of our circumstances. Regardless of what may come. Our joy will never be stifled as long as we give thanks.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be Thankful Like A Thessalonian.

[19] And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. [20] They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. [21] The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children. ~ Matthew 14:19-21^NIV

Both times, Jesus multiplied the bread and the fish. He never prayed for it to be multiplied. Jesus simply gives thanks for it. He then breaks it and gives it to His disciples to distribute. I want you to notice that there is no record of Jesus praying for a miracle. No record of Jesus praying for the loaves to multiply in order to feed the five or four thousand. The only thing Jesus does before breaking the food and handing it out, is give thanks for it.

Imagine, all Jesus did was give thanks and the food multiplied more than enough for five thousand men plus women and children. Let that sink in. A prayer of Thanksgiving is more powerful than we give it credit for. So many of us pray and pray for things to happen in our lives, but rarely do we see it come to pass. Could it be because we’re to give thanks and then act in faith? I’m not saying that we should stop asking for things, James says we have not because we ask not. Therefore, we must still have to ask for what we need, but this is giving thanks for what they had, and it multiplied to more than they needed.

In other words, if you have money but you can’t pay the bills because it’s not enough, you give thanks and then act in faith. If you have food to eat, but it’s not enough, you give thanks, and you act in faith. Now, I want you to understand that this isn’t a cheat code or a way to easy living. I’m not even saying this is the formula to always get what you have multiplied to what you need. Why? Because giving thanks will only work if your heart is pure and your prayers are heard.

Here’s what I mean. Jesus prayed every morning, regardless of how early it was or how late He went to bed the night before. It didn’t matter. Jesus got up early before His day’s work and prayed. I’m willing to bet He never prayed for less than an hour. He would never hold Prayer to a higher standard than He held Himself. Therefore, every morning Jesus prayed at least one hour. Then, every night, Jesus prayed. It didn’t matter how long of a day He had or how tired He was, or how late it was. Jesus secluded Himself and prayed. And when He prayed, He didn’t sleep. He didn’t get distracted. Jesus prayed.

How many of us can say that we do the same thing? How many of us can say we’ve followed in His footsteps? I know for myself, I can say with utmost confidence that I have not. I pray when I get up and I pray before I go to bed, but my prayers aren’t an hour in length. And if I’m really tired, I’ll fall asleep, wake up, and then have to apologize to God. While my spiritual growth has grown, I’m not there yet.

If we want to do miracles like Christ did and even greater ones like He promised, our spirit man has to be stronger. Our spirit man can’t be weak and our flesh control our lives. We have to be strong in the LORD. Our flesh has to be crucified each and every day. Our prayer life has to be strong. Our worship has to be strong. Our faith has to be strong, and the only way to strengthen our faith is to read the Word of God. Therefore, the time we spend in the Word has to be strong. Our walk with Christ has to be strong. Our good fruit-bearing has to be strong.

We can’t allow ourselves to think too much of ourselves than we ought, or we’ll never grow. We have to look at ourselves with honesty. These things need to change, so let me start with this one. And we tackle it one step at a time so that when we are in a situation where we need our bread and fish to multiply, our prayer of Thanksgiving will be heard by God and answered when we act in faith.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Prepare For Thanksgiving.

¹ Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever. ² Give thanks to the God of gods, for His steadfast love endures forever. ³ Give thanks to the LORD of lords, for His steadfast love endures forever. ~ Psalms 136:1-3

The Psalmist starts out shooting straight from the hip. He boldly states, give thanks to the LORD for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever. He continues the theme of God having, or possessing, and showing an everlasting, steadfast love. Then, to back up what he is saying, he reminds them of all the great things that God has done. How He created the heavens and the earth, and all of the stars that we see at night, including the sun and the moon.

Then the Psalmist makes it personal to the Israelites; he reminds them how God judged the Egyptians who had enslaved them for 430 years and how, by His great power, and because of His everlasting, steadfast love, He delivered them out of bondage. He reminds them how God was with them as He led them through the wilderness and into the Promised Land and how He gave them victory over all of their foes.

It reminds me of the hymn that we used to sing:

Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God hath done;
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done

That is exactly what the Psalmist is doing here. He is counting all of their blessings, and he is naming them one by one and finds that God is the possessor of an enduring, everlasting, steadfast love. A steadfast love that remembers that we are of low estate. That we are but dust, just mere mortals.

So, this Thanksgiving, let us start a new tradition, a tradition of being thankful. Every morning, remind yourself of two or three blessings that you have enjoyed. New ones and blessings from years and years ago. In so doing, you will see that God is indeed good, and His steadfast love endures forever.

Father, thank You for being so kind to me. Thank You for blessing me even when I do not deserve it. Thank You, Jesus, for dying on the cross for me. Help me to have a thankful and grateful heart. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

²³ Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God, for He has given the early rain for your vindication; He has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before. ~ Joel 2:23

The LORD is saying through the prophet Joel, “Rejoice and be glad.” In other words, be grateful and thankful for what I give you, for apart from Me, you can do nothing. We express the love of God through our rejoicing.

God instructs Israel to rejoice in all situations because rejoicing can be considered an offering to the LORD that is connected to the love of God. God does not want us to walk around with our faces made up and our countenance fallen. He wants us to express and show His love because He is a God of love, and He wants and expects us to abide in His love. You cannot abide in God’s love without rejoicing.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Give Thanks In Rejoicing.

Back to Thankful?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷pray continually, ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rejoice always. Pray continually. Give thanks in all circumstances. The Scripture does not say give thanks for all circumstances, but rather, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of our God.

A thankful heart begins with joy. You rejoice because you are joyful. When you are joyful, you rejoice by giving thanks. Thanks for the things that you enjoy: food, nice clothes, a beautiful home, a comfortable car to drive, and the like.

There are many, many miracles and blessings that we enjoy that we should be praying the prayer of thanksgiving for in appreciation. When we harbor an attitude of gratitude in our hearts, it will bring with it the peace that passes all understanding. It will foster joy in our hearts. The kind of joy that does not depend on man nor on circumstances but on the good grace of Almighty God.

So, let this Thanksgiving be the start of a lifelong pursuit of joy through the attitude of thanksgiving. Giving thanks first of all to our LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ, for dying on the Cross to pay the penalty for our sins. For choosing us before we had any inclination or desire to choose Him. For loving us while we were unlovable and dying for us while we were still His enemies.

Thank You, Father, for choosing me. Thank You, Jesus, for dying for me. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for leading me in all truths. Help me, LORD, to maintain a thankful heart that I might show my appreciation for the blessings of life. Bless Your people on this Thanksgiving Day, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, that our hearts may be overjoyed as we serve You and wait for the day of Your return. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, amen.

Back to Thankful?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

²⁹ At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, ³⁰ and the king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” ³¹ While the words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, ³² and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” ³³ Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws. ³⁴ At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation; ³⁵ all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and He does according to His will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay His hand or say to Him, “What have You done?” ³⁶ At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. ~ Daniel 4:29-36

The LORD used Nebuchadnezzar and even called him His servant, but Nebuchadnezzar became prideful. He looked at all that he had and gave no glory to God. So, God humbled Nebuchadnezzar, and Nebuchadnezzar’s reason left him until he humbled himself before the Almighty. This is still true to us today.

Many of us have been blessed by God beyond measure. We lack nothing. Our business is booming. But we begin to forget God in the process. We don’t acknowledge all that God has done for us. The more we become prideful, the more humility flees from us. As humility flees from us, we become less and less like God and more and more like beasts. Selfishness begins to take over us, and we lose our sense. Our hearts become cold, and we no longer give anything to God or others. Thankfulness is driven from our hearts as we become more and more selfish. Without thanksgiving, the Fruit of the Spirit begins to flee us as well.

Dear LORD, please help me to never become ungrateful and unthankful for all that You’ve done for me. Soften my heart that I might always be thankful for all that You’ve done for me. Please humble me so that pride may never build up within me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Back to Thankful?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content