The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the
will of God in Christ Jesus for you. “
This passage, and others like it, make known that giving
proper thanks to God is His desire for all of those He has created. Obviously,
we should give thanks for all of the many wonderful blessings that are ours in
Christ.
But along with constant prayer, we are also told to give
thanks even in the midst of those things that may be downright terrible and
fearful to deal with. This aspect of praising God is revealed in Philippians 4:6-7.
Again it is Paul who records, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by
prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to
God; and the peace of God, which
surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ
Jesus.” Here, the context of thanking
God even in hard times is made quite clear. But we are assured that doing so,
along with fervent and specific prayer,
will protect our hearts and minds in the storms of life.
The Old Testament too reveals God’s deep desire to receive
the praise that is due Him. Psalm 107 is a classic passage along these lines
and is often read at Thanksgiving time. It begins, "Oh, give thanks to the LORD,
for He is good! For His mercy endures forever."
Then some fours times over, the writer repeats the phrase, "Oh, that men
would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to
the children of men!"
And Psalm 107:22 expands on the subject. ‘"Let them
sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving,
And declare His works with rejoicing." This same thought is echoed in
Hebrews 13:15. “Therefore by Him let us
continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our
lips, giving thanks to His name.” These verses reveal that the proper giving of thanks
to God is a literal act sacrifice – something not always associated with this activity.
“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of
the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Colossians 3:17)
Bill Breckenridge
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