Being A Cheerful Thanksgiver

 

 

 

Colossians 3:15 says - "...and be ye thankful." 

 

Someone once said - "God's giving deserves our thanksgiving."

 

Other writers also gave some inspiring remarks about thanksgiving that are worth noting -

John Boys  said - "As the Lord loves a cheerful giver, so likewise a cheerful thanksgiver."
Thomas Fuller said - "The thankfulness of the receiver ought to answer to the benefit of the bestower as the echo answers to the voice."
William Seeker said - "He enjoys much who is thankful for little."
William Gurnall said - "Thanksgiving is an act of self-denial."
And Spiros Zodhiates said - "Thanking God for whatever He gives is one sure way of resisting the devil."

 

The Scriptures instruct us that there is a proper way to approach God.

 

We are to - "come before His presence with thanksgiving"(Psalm 95:2)..."enter into His gates with thanksgiving"(Psalm 100:4)...for "it is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD"  (Psalm 92:1).

 

We are not to approach God's throne empty handed.

We must bring an offering for our sacrifice.

 

Psalm 50:14 says - "Offer unto God thanksgiving..."

Psalm 107:22 says -  "And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving...."

Again, Psalm 116:17 says - "I will offer to Thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving..."

The Prophet Jonah said - "...I will sacrifice unto Thee with the voice of thanksgiving..."(Jonah 2:9).

This coincides with Hebrews 13:15 which 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."

 

Our Thanksgiving must not be sporadic but continuous.

 

Ephesians 5:20 says - "Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." We must be - "abounding therein with thanksgiving,"  (Colossians 2:7) and "in every thing giving thanks"(1 Thessalonians 5:18)..

 

The Lord God "daily loads us with benefits"(Psalm 68:19). Day by day and constantly, He makes our journey prosperous and bears our burdens for us. He "preserves us from trouble"(Psalm 32:7).  

How precious are all His thoughts unto us! "How great is the sum of them!"(Psalm 139:17)

 

He forgives and pardons all our sins(Psalm 103:3)...redeems us from all iniquities(Psalm 130:8)...blots out our transgressions...and remembers our sin no more (Isaiah 43:25) .

 

He heals all our diseases(Psalm 103:3)...Whenever we cry unto Him, He heals us(Psalm 30:2)...He healed our soul when we had sinned against Him(Psalm 41:4)...He heals us when we are "broken in heart" and binds up all our wounds(Psalm 147:3).

 

He "redeems our life from destruction"(Psalm 103:4). How many times did He save us from death when we were exposed to great danger? Satan desired to "sift us as wheat," but He prayed that our faith would not fail (Luke 22:31-32)..

 

He crowns us "with loving kindness and tender mercies"(Psalm 103:4)...does not "deal with us after our sins" (Psalm 103:10)... hence, we are not consumed "because His compassions fail not" Lamentations 3:22).

 

He "satisfies our mouth with good things"(Psalm 103:5)..."gives us richly all things to enjoy"  (1 Timothy 6:17)...satisfies our longing soul with marrow and fatness(Psalm 107:9)....crowns our years with goodness(Psalm 65:11)...and goes before us "with the blessings of goodness"(Psalm 21:3).

 

Lastly, He executes righteousness and judgment for us when we are oppressed by our enemies (Psalm 103:6). He is on our side and has our best interests at heart. He "prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies"(Psalm 23:5).

 

We are commanded in the Scriptures to "be ye thankful" and to "give thanks to God" - especially after "we have eaten and are full" of the blessings of the Lord. At the same time, we are to beware that we do not forget Him and become lifted up in pride - attributing our blessings to the works of our own hands(Deuteronomy 8:11-14).

 

Romans 1:21-32 tells us what happened to a people who "knew God" but failed to glorify Him and give Him thanks. They became - "vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened" - "changing the truth of God into a lie, and worshipping and serving the creature more than the Creator." Resultantly, He gave them over to their lusts - which eventually led to perversions and His wrath and judgment.

 

What a moral digression! And all because of the sin of Ingratitude!

 

Let us take heed to the warnings in God's Word today.
May we always and evermore be a people who are abounding with thanksgiving toward the Lord.