Today we are going to look at “WHY ONE SHOULD GIVE GOD THANKS! 1 Samuel 12:24 says, “Only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things He hath done for you.”
Colossians 2:7 says, “… Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all He has done (for you).”
The Psalmist said, “What can I offer to the LORD for all He has done for me?” (Ps. 116:12, NLT).
At this time of the year, families traditionally gather to celebrate and thank God for all His blessings. They gather to express their gratitude to God for His many blessings.
Beloved, if you would look back and list your blessings and name them one by one, it will surprise you what the Lord has done for you. If you woke up this morning and your name is not in the obituary list in the Newspaper, brace up, square your shoulders and shout for joy for this is the day the Lord has made, we shall rejoice and be glad in it.
You’ve got food on your table. You’ve got clothes on your back. All over the world, many people are homeless. But as for you, you’ve got a roof over your head. You’ve got your legs to move from one point to the other. You’ve got your hands to help you do things for yourself. You’ve got your life with you in that you are still in this part of eternity to make up for heaven. You are not lying down on a hospital bed. Get to any of the hospitals today and see for yourself how many people are suffering from diverse kinds of illnesses.
Maybe you think that it is by your connections, or by your strength that you are where you are today. Have you not read, “It’s not by might, nor by power but by My Spirit says the Lord?” (Zech. 4:6). Have you not heard that by strength shall no man prevail? (1 Sam. 2:9). Is it not written in your Bible that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill?” (Eccl. 9:11).
Maybe you think that you are rich because you’ve worked so hard? Have you not read, “It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy?” (Rom. 9:16). It is not by labour, it is by favour.
Have you never read that it is the Lord that gave you the power to make wealth? (Deut. 8:18). Have you not read that Paul planted, Apollos watered, but it is only God that gives the increase? (1 Cor. 3:6).
Therefore, it is wisdom for us to gather to celebrate and thank God for all His blessings. We gather to express our gratitude to God for His many many blessings.
What is gratitude? Gratitude is a natural expression of thanks to someone in response to blessings, protection, or love received. Appreciating God for what He has done for us so far will take you to your next level.
Shouts of joy (Ps. 42:4), songs of praise (Ps. 145:7), music and dance (Ps. 150:3-5) are all added to the spirit of thanksgiving in worship.
What then is thanksgiving? Thanksgiving is a public acknowledgement or celebration of divine goodness.
Why are you thankful to God? For me, I am particularly thankful to God because:
1. God is good, kind and loving. 1 Chronicles 16:34 says, “O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good; for His mercy endureth forever.”
Psalm 136:1-26 says, “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
2. Of the unspeakable Gift of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 9:15 says, “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable Gift.”
In John 3:16 Jesus said, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His ONLY begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
3. Of what God has done for us in Christ Jesus. Do you really know what came in the package when you received Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal Saviour? If you look into that package, you’ll see healing for your body (Isa. 53:4-5; 1 Pet. 2:24), prosperity, promotion etc. Jesus Christ came to give us Identity, Position, Inheritance and Ability.
4. Of bringing me out of a horrible pit, from miry clay severally. Psalm 40:2-3 says, “He [God] brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 3 And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.”
What is miry clay? Miry clay is a situation so bad that except help comes from outside, you are gone. It is like quick sand. The more you put in the second leg so that you can step up, the more you will sink in. You are in a situation beyond the help of man; a situation you can’t even help yourself. Have you been there before?
5. God is for us (me). Romans 8:31 says, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”
Do you know that one with God is a majority? You plus God is greater than a majority. Job learnt this lesson on his bed of affliction. Job praised God even when he was down to nothing. He knew that whenever one is down to nothing, God is up to something.
In Job 1:21 Job began to praise God saying, “Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”
In Job 13:15 Job said, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him…”
In Job 19:25 Job said, “For I know my Redeemer liveth…”
As Job began to thank and praise God, God broke that curse over his life and gave him double for his trouble (Job 42:10). Beloved, God will give you double for your trouble if you’ll learn to thank and praise Him in that your situation.
Giving thanks to God is the key to releasing the supernatural power of God upon your life in your situation. If you need a miracle in your life, be thankful and give God thanks for that situation you are in right now. Joshua learnt that same lesson in the battle against Jericho. Jonah learnt that lesson in the belly of the fish. David learnt that lesson in the battle against Goliath (1 Sam. 17). Daniel learnt that lesson in the den of lions (Dan. 6). Shadrach, Meschach and Abed-nego learnt that lesson in the fiery furnace (Dan. 3). Paul and Silas learnt that lesson in the dungeon in prison (Acts 16:16 – 38).
In Isaiah 54:17 God said, “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of Me.”
6. I am thankful because I am going to Heaven (Jn. 3:3-7). I am thankful to God because He has made a way for me to come to Heaven. I am so glad that I am a citizen of Heaven. Heaven is my eternal home because I am a member of the family of God.
If you really know what you have in Jesus Christ, no one needs to ginger you up before you give God quality thanks.
6. I am thankful because God loves me. In John 3:16 Jesus said, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
1 John 3:1 says, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not.”
7. I am thankful because NOTHING can separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:35-39).
Romans 8 begins with “no condemnation” and ended with “no separation.” In Romans 8:1 the Scriptures say, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
Listen beloved, you can never do anything so bad or so good to make God love you less or more than He loves you right now. Even when you don’t love Him, God still loves you. Even in your worst state, God loves you but hates that sin in your life.
8. I am thankful to God because He fights all my battles for me. He is Jehovah Nissi. He contends with they that contend with me (Isa. 49:25).
In Romans 8:37 the Bible says, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.”
There is a world of difference between being a conqueror and being more than a conqueror. A conqueror is the one who fights a battle and wins. But more than a conqueror is one who does not take part in any form of battle, but knows that the battle is already won even before the battle starts.
God fought for David against Goliath (1 Sam. 17). He fought for the children of Israel against the Egyptians in the Red Sea (Ex. 14). He fought for them against the Amalekites. He fought for them against the children of Moab, the children of Ammon, and the people of Mount Seir (2 Chron. 20).
Psalm 23:4-5 says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.”
9. I am thankful to God because He forgives ALL our sins (Ps. 103:3; Col. 1:13-14; Col. 2:13-14; Isa. 43:25; Isa. 1:18; Prov. 28:13; 1 Jn. 1:9).
In Psalm 103:1-22, David’s praise focused on God’s glorious deeds. It is easy to complain about life, but David’s list gives us plenty for which to praise God: He forgives our sins, heals our diseases, redeems us from death, crowns us with love and compassion, satisfies our desires, and gives righteousness and justice. We receive all of these without deserving any of them. No matter how difficult your life’s journey, you can always count your blessings - past, present, and future. When you feel as though you have nothing for which to praise God, read David’s list.
10. I am thankful to God because He heals ALL our sicknesses and diseases (Ps. 103:3; 1sa. 53:4-5; 1 Pet. 2:24; Jam. 5:14-16).
11. I am thankful to God because He redeems (saves) our lives from destruction (Ps. 103:4; Ps. 34:22; Jn. 10:10; 1 Pet. 5:8; Eph. 6:10-12; God’s promises: Ps. 91:3-8; Ps. 23:4-5; Isa. 43:2; Isa. 54:15, 17).
Psalm 107:15-16 says, “O! that men would praise [give thanks to] the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! 16 For He hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder.”
In a certain city in the northern part of Nigeria, God spoke to a certain Moslem, the son of one of the leaders of that faith, and showed hell to him in a revelation. As he woke up, he quickly sought for a church, went to the pastor, and gave his life to Christ. On hearing the testimony of what the Lord had done in the life of that former Moslem, the other Moslems gathered to set his house ablaze as he slept. But as they got to his house, all they saw was a wall of fire all around his house. They had no access to the house because Jesus had become the wall of fire around that New Creature in Christ as He promised in Zechariah 2:5. Jesus had encamped around that New Creation in Christ.
Psalm 34:7 says, “The Angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.”
This was also what happened in the case of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego (Dan. 3). Jesus was the fourth Man in that fiery furnace that Nebuchadnezzar put them into. Nebuchadnezzar had no idea of the promise of God for His children.
In Isaiah 43:2 God promised, “When you pass through the waters, He will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burnt, nor shall the flame scorch you.”
Jesus also protected Daniel from the den of lions. When the hungry lions saw Jesus, the “Lion of the tribe of Judah,” they became powerless.
The same Jesus protected me from a poisonous snake in November, 2002. As I finished the Sunday service, I walked into my office in the church. Some people followed me into the office, and as I sat down to counsel with them, one of them said, “Daddy, that’s a snake behind you.” I thought he was kidding. However, it was true. The snake was right there behind my seat, but could not do anything.
Besides, I came into that office around 6.00 am to prepare for the Sunday service. I stayed in that office, probably with that snake until about 9:15 am when I eventually came out for the service. The snake was killed and burnt.
To my surprise, the next day a mad man that was passing the major road to the church, on getting to the very spot where the snake was burnt, stood there complaining bitterly and pointing at the church. I happened to be standing outside with some other brethren. I lifted up my voice and said to him, “Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world” (1 Jn. 4:4). And as soon as I shouted Holy Ghost fire, the man ran for his dear life.
This same Jesus has also been protecting you from one danger or the other on daily basis. Won’t you give Him thanks?
12. I am thankful to God because He crowns [surrounds] us with loving kindness (Ps. 103:4; Jn. 3:16; Rom. 5:8).
13. I am thankful to God because He fills our lives with good things – Who gives us plenty of good things (Ps. 103:5; Ps. 23:1-5): good parents; good spouses; Spirit-filled friends; well-paid jobs; good environment. He gives us houses we did not build, vineyards we did not cultivate, and favours we did not merit.
14. I am thankful to God because He makes us young again like the eagle (Ps. 103:5). Are you not aware that you are looking younger every day as compared to your counterparts? He renews your strength to be like that of a youth.
Because God gives you all sorts of good things so that you lack nothing, you are always looking young. God adequately maintains you.
15. I am thankful to God for the victory over sin and death that He gives us in Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:57 says, “How we thank God, who gives us victory over sin and death through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
16. I am thankful to God for giving me a priceless inheritance in Christ (1 Pet. 1:3-4).
17. I am thankful to God because the spirit of thanksgiving puts a seal on the blessings I have already received. Example is the case of the ten lepers. The very one that came back to give God thanks was made whole in that: (a) his destroyed parts grew back and he became as if he never suffered from leprosy; (b) He also received eternal life.
If you are not thankful, then you are not Spirit-filled. Ephesians 5:18-20 says, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19 Speaking to yourselves in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Psalm 124:2-4 says, “If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us: 3 Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us: 4 Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul. 5 Then the proud waters had gone over our soul. 6 Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth. 7 Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped. 8 Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”
In spite of all the obstacles that the devil brought your way, can’t you look back and see where you are today and give God thanks? He is Jehovah Ebenezer, the LORD that has brought you thus far. Quit complaining and start praising God for His goodness, love and faithfulness.
Watch out for the next edition of Good News from the Pulpit!
- Your friend: I. I. MADUBUNYI (Senior Pastor) 24.11.2024 @ the HQs
Promise of God for the week: “Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase” (Job 8:7).
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