Why Should We Be Thankful?
“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness! Come before His presence with singing!
Know (perceive, recognize, and understand with approval) that the Lord is God!
It is He Who has made us, not we ourselves [and we are His]! We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and a thank offering and into His courts with praise! Be thankful and say so to Him, bless and affectionately praise His name!
For the Lord is good; His mercy and loving-kindness are everlasting, His faithfulness and truth endure to all generations.”
Psalm 100 (AMP)
" In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you…"
I Thessalonians 5:18
Bible historians tell us that the Hundredth Psalm was sung during the offering of the Sacrifice of Thankfulness in the ancient Temple at Jerusalem. It was written for the purpose of addressing the attitude of ingratitude. It was to remind the people that whether they had much or little they still had reason to be thankful because everything they possessed was the result of the blessing of the Lord upon their lives. It was kind of like a "count your blessings" sort of song.
I am convinced that each of us has a reason to be thankful today as well. In fact, I think it might be advisable from time to time to make a list of the good things God has done for us as a point of reference to help us remember just how blessed we really are. I also believe that such a list could prove valuable throughout the remainder of the year for there will be times of adversity, troubles, problems and heartaches that we will face and it wouldn't hurt to periodically pull out our list and review all the things for which we are thankful.
One of the chief dangers to our spirituality is that of being ungrateful and unthankful. Ingratitude is something that affects the rich and the poor. I've seen those who don't have much respond resentfully towards those who do, and complain because "they don't have anything to be thankful for." I have also seen those who have much, feel as though their resources and assets are the results of their "hard work" and have even heard them wine and complain that they don't have enough. To be honest, it seems that the more we are blessed, the greater the danger of becoming unthankful. The more we get, generally, the less thankful for it, we become, the less mindful of God we become, and the more we want and feel as if we deserve. That may be one of the greatest dangers the American Church faces in the 21st Century. God has blessed us so much, that unless we determine to develop an attitude of thankfulness we risk losing sight of all that He has done.
This was what Israel faced as they entered into the land of promise. Therefore, eight times the book of Deuteronomy warns the Israelites to not forget the Lord, once they became established in Canaan. Yet those of you who know your Bible history, know that is exactly what happened; they forgot all that God had done for them and begin to serve other gods.
In spite of the fact that we are most blessed generation and society in history, it seems we are also the most unfulfilled, unthankful and unappreciative. Watch the commercials and walk the malls listening to the children. I’ve never heard more whining and complaining. This should not be the case for the child of God! We must learn to be thankful for the blessings we so often take for granted.
I believe that the development of a thankful heart is necessary for everyone who desires to possess New Covenant Promises. Before God can promote us and lead us into greater things, we must develop an appreciation for the things He has already done. When we have a thankful heart for that which we have already received in the past and present, He can direct us into the things He has already prepared for our future.
This doesn't mean we become complacent, but rather content. It does mean we learn enjoy where we are on the way to where we’re going. It means we’re not stressed about what we don't have but are rather enjoying what we do! The spirit of thanksgiving keeps us walking toward our destiny, the place of complete manifestation, until we are as James says, "Lacking or wanting nothing."
Let's look at I Thessalonians 5:18 "…Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." (NLT)
Notice it doesn't say "for everything" it says, "In everything." In Ephesians it says, "Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…"
In Ephesians 5:20 Paul says, "Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…"The Message Bible best translates this verse:
"…Sing songs from your heart to Christ. Sing praises over everything, any excuse for a song to God the Father in the name of our Master, Jesus Christ…
The Greek projects the idea of; "…give thanks for all things that come from God to the Father in the name of Jesus Christ…"
Fortunately, He doesn't require us to be thankful FOR ALL THINGS: because all things are not good and pleasing in His sight. The idea is that we thank Him in all things good or bad and for all things He is the source of. This doesn't mean when we face sickness that we offer praise to God for the sickness, because it doesn't originate from Him ("Every good and perfect gift…"). It means that we offer thanks "IN SICKNESS" because He is the Lord our healer! In the middle of your crisis you can say, "Thank you Lord," not for the problem but because He is a way maker and the source of our victory! Even in the worst situations if we look objectively, we will see there are still good things happening and there is always a reason to rejoice, even if it’s just the fact that we are a Christian! It gives you the ability to give thanks! What is boils down to is, we develop that determination to focus on the good and positive not the negative.
The Amplified reads this passage like this: "Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will]."
"No matter what the circumstance may be…be thankful."
The phrase "…enter His gates with thanksgiving…be thankful unto Him and bless His name…" are in what is referred to as the imperative sense, meaning it is a command, not an option. The same is true of the passage in I Thessalonians 5. Which means we can choose either to be thankful or unthankful. It has nothing to do with our current condition, situations or circumstances. It is a matter of the heart. It is a choice to appreciate the good that God has caused to manifest in my life. We can either be unappreciative, and ungrateful or we can choose to honor God and be appreciative and grateful. THE CHOICE IS OURS!
Thanksgiving is ALWAYS AN APPROPRIATE RESPONSE TO CIRCUMSTANCES whether they are good or bad!
Thanksgiving must be more than a holiday celebrated once a year it must become a lifestyle. You see, if you are a child of God, you have something to be thankful for no matter what your current condition is…even on your worse day, you are still born-again, cleansed by the blood, surrounded by angels, sealed by the Holy Spirit, on your way to heaven, held in the Father's hand, triumphant over the devil, filled with the peace of God, an heir to the covenant and a child of the King!
What Does It Mean To Be Thankful?
The word thanksgiving means to "confess your appreciation; to praise or acknowledge verbally your gratitude." God knows our hearts but He wants to hear our mouths express praise and appreciation for all He has given us. In fact in the Hebrew language there is no particular word for "Thank you." The word is always used as an clarification - meaning offer praise as your expression of thanks. In the Greek the word is charis and is directly related to the word for grace, meaning it is the “appropriate response to God's grace at work in our lives.”
Thanksgiving is an acknowledgement that everything good thing comes from God, resulting in an attitude of gratitude and appreciation, which is expressed by actions.
So "offering thanks" is essentially "offering sacrifices of praises and service" to God as an expression of appreciation for the gifts of His grace." We are told to give thanks because 1. He is good (Psalm 100). 2. His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever (I Chronicles 16:41) 3. His truth endures to all generations. 4. His deliverance (vs.16:7). 5. He answers prayer (Psalm 116:1) 6. Because He reigns in great power (Rev. 11:17)
More than 25 times we are told to give thanks because He is good and His mercy endures forever.
What is the motivation of thankfulness?
In this 100th Psalm David tells us to give thanks for three reasons…The Lord is good;
The Hebrew word translated good is "friendly, pleasant, gracious, wealthy, prosperous, generous, becoming (revealing Himself as) better;" The idea is that God is easily approached, quick to forgive, kind and loving, full of resources and willing to extend them to those who are in His favor. It also indicates that as one walks with Him, God progressively revels Himself as better and better. Not that God changes, for He does not, but our understanding of His goodness increases as well as our capacity to receive His goodness.
You might say, "Well pastor, you just don't know what I'm going through right now!" That's why its important to see what the author of this psalm is stating. He did not say that the Lord feels good today, he did not say that the Lord is acting good, or behaving good or in a good mood. It said the Lord is good, stating that God's nature is good. This is important, because life is filled with changes, our plans change, our circumstances change, but we know that God does not change in His nature. If He was good yesterday, He is good today, and if He is good today, He will be good tomorrow as well. God's goodness is completely independent of my circumstances. Even when life is bad God is good!
I recently read of a great missionary, Allen Gardiner, who experienced many physical difficulties and hardships throughout his service to the Lord. Despite his troubles, he said, "While God gives me strength, failure will not daunt me." In 1851, at the age of 57, he died of disease and starvation while serving on Picton Island at the southern tip of South America. When his body was found, his diary lay nearby. It bore the record of hunger, thirst, wounds, and loneliness. The last entry in his little book showed the struggle of his shaking hand as he tried to write legibly. It read, "I am overwhelmed with a sense of the goodness of God."
Next, he tells us to give thanks because His mercy is everlasting…
How many times have we failed God and yet He is still good to us? Why? Because of His mercy!
In the Hebrew the word for mercy is…"loving-kindness-covenant love, to get inside someone's skin, to look at where they view life and feel what they are experiencing. But it also meant to move in and act on behalf of the one whose hurting." Mercy is not simply the withholding of punishment, but it is the act of giving help or having compassion on someone who is afflicted. Does God get so angry when we fail Him that the heavens shake and the ground opens up and shallows us? Of course not! Why doesn't that happen? Simply because the Lord is also merciful. A "being" who dispenses justice may well be feared and even worshipped, but he will also be dreaded and unloved. If we are to have security and happiness in the Lord, we must know Him as being more than a God of justice, we must also know Him as a God of mercy. His fountain of mercy never runs dry. Mercy triumphs over judgment. (James 2:13)
The Hebrew word used here is the word "checed" mercy, loving-kindness, or faithful. Many Bible scholars see in this word, not only God's mercy, but the reason for His mercy, simply this fact, God loves you and me. It is the word that describes the love extended towards those involved in COVENANT!
Psalm 107:8 declares… "Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!"
At least five times in Psalm 107 alone, we are exhorted to give thanks, and to praise God for His GOODNESS. There are primarily two Hebrew words translated "goodness", in the Old Testament. One of them is "tuwb" (pronounced toob), and it refers to gladness, joy, welfare, or beauty, i.e. ("He is good…") The other word is this word "checed" (pronounced kheh'sed). This is the word in Psalm 107... "Oh that men would praise the Lord for his 'goodness".
God is the source of both. As a matter-of-fact, both words are in one very familiar line of scripture... "Surely goodness (tuwb) and mercy (checed) shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." (Psalm 23:6)
It is this goodness (mercy), for which we come "boldly unto the throne of grace" to obtain (along with grace), to help us in a time of need. God wants to help you out of your trial. He is not the giver of trials, He is the giver of mercy and grace — goodness, in other words. And His expressed intention is to deliver you in your time of need. This beloved, is reason enough to be thankful. There is a place of refuge and help in the time of trouble. No matter how bad things seem…His mercy is holding back the forces of judgment and His grace and goodness is extending blessing and aid! WOW!
Even when you tried to fail He wouldn't let you…when you ran He chased you; when you hid-He found you; He found a vagabond and a beggar and made a son or a daughter out of them.
[My personal testimony. When He found me I stuttered so badly I couldn't be understood. I was shy and introverted…full of rejection and low self esteem. But, He saw something in me no one else could see. In spite of my fears and anxiety, loved me into His purpose. This is why I owe it all to Him]
Finally, we are told to give thanks because His truth (His Word) endures to all generations.
Psalm 119:160 states, "…the entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever."
I Peter 1:24 adds, "The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the LORD endures forever."
Why is it important that we be thankful for His enduring truth? Simply for this reason…His truth that was so real to the early Christians and gave them solutions to life's struggles and infused them with the power to overcome, is the same truth that exists today and will help us in our walk with the Lord. His promises are dependable and trustworthy. HIS WORD DOES NOT CHANGE! He promises to give provision for us and so He will, He promises to keep us in His care and so He does, He promises to forgive us and so He does, and He promises to be with us and so He is. What He did…He does and what He does…He always will do! His Word does not change…it endures forver!
This is why Paul told us in II Corinthians 4:18 "…do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal." What are those things? One of them is the Word of the Lord!
The good news is you can go the Word and find a promise that is truth regardless of what the circumstances are. When you make the decision to believe it, because the truth endures, and does not change then your contrary situations must come in line with the word of the Lord.
What a security to know that you can build your marriage, family, finances, and future on the Word of the Lord that abides forever unshaken and unmoved. It endures the winds of change, outlast opposing circumstances and situations, stands the test of time and will forever endure for it is settled in heaven!
You see real thankfulness is the expression of the one who realizes that everything he has is a gift from God, because He is good! It acknowledges that the mercy of the Lord has been extended and that the promises of God are unchanging and will never fail! If you really believe these things, you'll rejoice because you realize that you have the guarantee of victory in every situation, and there is no reason to accept failure or defeat!