Thanks!

Psalm 100:4  Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name.

Another year gone by and I am still thankful for who our God is and what He has done and will continue to do (hmmmm, He is, He was and is to be).

We have seen many within our church community and neighborhoods and friend and family going through "stuff" this year. Some are struggling with finances because of job losses, some are dealing with health issues. Others are wondering what in the world is happening in this world.

Although it seems my days are not so bogged down with troubles I know they could be at the blink of an eye. I am trusting God for all things in my life, knowing that whatever I may go through, He is beside me. There's no knowing how many times He has this past year saved me from something. And I'm thankful, even though I don't know, for all He has done for me this year.

We have no idea what life in the years to come will hold for us. That is why it is important to trust only in Jesus Christ. Man can wreak havoc in the world: In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world. (John 16:33). I am most thankful for that.

The Lord is my Rock and refuge. He is the Voice in the storm that cries out for the winds and fury to cease. He reminds me to be still and know that He is God. He is the Alpha and Omega, beginning and end. My future is in His hands because He called out to me one day and I secured my place in His heavenly realm. I am reminded of the scripture that tells us, Behold, I have engraved you upon the palms of My hands... (Isaiah 49:16)

I thank my God and Savior for all He promises in His Word, which promises are for all people if they choose to seek Him and secure those promises for themselves.

Though we are told we will have troubles in this world, His peace is the foundation of our lives. I truly believe if in the midst of our troubles we continue to praise Him and thank Him, He blesses us, and grants us greater peace.

I can honestly say I thank God for all I have experienced in life because it has strengthened me and enlightened me. Oh, there were some things I could have done without but now that I have Christ in my life, the good outweighs the bad!

I'm thankful for a faithful husband, good friends, a good church, the things I have, some of which I could do without! I'm thankful for my kitties. I thank God for the eye He has given me to see the beauty of His nature right outside my door. Every day I am reminded in some way of His creativity.

Thank You, Jesus.

1Thessalonians 5:18 - in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Thanks Be to God

Psalm 100:4 - Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. 

As we approach Thanksgiving, we are especially reminded where thanks giving should be given. We can start small and be thankful for what we good things we have. Even if we haven't much we should be able to be thankful for something. Think of just one thing.

Take it a step further. We should be thankful as a nation for the freedoms we have thus far. Let's be thankful now before they are taken away. We see in the news there are a whole lot of people who cannot be thankful. What's that all about? How sad. Will that ever change?

Okay, so another level higher. The highest level. Being thankful to God...because it is He who has given us everything we have. If we are not thankful to Him we have turned our backs on the one Who has created all things that we might partake of them.

And if you don’t think we can’t go any higher than that...be thankful that He sent His Son that we might have spiritual freedom...along with eternal life. Galatians 5:1 tells us it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Free from the yoke of slavery in this world. What greater thanks do we need have?

I searched the scriptures for some additional words on thanksgiving and thanks. For His creation, for the love and provision to His people, and especially for offering His Son Jesus as a sacrifice for our sins and the victory of eternal life through Christ Jesus, His indescribable gift! Nothing speaks louder than the thundering voice of God through His grateful people:

Psalm 26:6-7 - I will go about Your altar, O LORD, that I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving and declare all Your wonders.

Psalm 69:30 - I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving. 

Psalm 95:2 - Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. 

Psalm 116:17 - I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.

Philippians 4:6 - Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

Revelation 7:12 - Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.

1Chronicles 16:8, 34 - Oh, give thanks to the LORD! Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples! Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

Psalm 30:4 - Sing praise to the LORD, you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. 

Psalm 35:18 - I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people. 

Psalm 75:1 - We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near. 

Psalm 92:1 - It is good to give thanks to the LORD, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High.

Psalm 107:8 - Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!

1Corinthians 15:57 - But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

2Corinthians 2:14 - Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.

Colossians 3:17 - 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.

2Corinthians 9:15 - Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! 

1Thessalonians 5:18 - …in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 

Revelation 11:17 - We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was and who is to come, because You have taken Your great power and reigned. 

And here’s one I pray for all of you for your Thanksgiving day. May He touch your hearts as you enjoy your celebration.

2Corinthians 9:10-11 - Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. 

Thanksgiving and Praise

King David knew how to praise the LORD. He sought God in all things and couldn't contain his worship. I would love to have been a fly on the wall in David's room where he worshipped God. I can imagine him dancing and singing with a tambourine in hand. He knew the God of the Heavens. He worshipped Him with reckless abandon. He made a joyful noise. He gave thanks because he knew of God's great power and His love and forgiveness. Not only was he able to do this, he had the gift of writing and he shared his feelings in the Psalms. 

We are called to be thankful and worship our God. There is so much to be thankful for. I can get wrapped up in some praise and worship music. It brings joy to my soul and lifts my spirit, especially when I'm having a bad day. We are called to think on things that are good and true and just. What better way than on the Word of God followed by lively praise and worship music.

We are approaching Thanksgiving, a day to first thank God for all He has done for us...then celebrate with a feast with family or friends...in that order. Worshiping and feasting were two very popular things in the Bible and there's a lot to be thankful for. Let David's words below penetrate your heart, even if you can't imagine the music. Then listen to the song below for a boost. 

What the LORD has accomplished and what He did for the people thousands of years ago, He has done and can still do for us. He can pull us up out of any situation and plant our feet firmly on His rock of salvation. We can become part of the heritage of these ancestors if we only choose to acknowledge Him and then worship Him like David did. Our God never changes. These words are timeless and priceless. 

Okay...David, let us know how you really felt!

Psalm 136

THANKSGIVING

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! 

           For His mercy endures forever. 

        2Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! 

           For His mercy endures forever. 

        3Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords! 

           For His mercy endures forever: 

        4To Him who alone does great wonders, 

           For His mercy endures forever; 

        5To Him who by wisdom made the heavens, 

           For His mercy endures forever; 

        6To Him who laid out the earth above the waters, 

           For His mercy endures forever; 

        7To Him who made great lights, 

           For His mercy endures forever-- 

        8The sun to rule by day, 

           For His mercy endures forever; 

        9The moon and stars to rule by night, 

           For His mercy endures forever. 

        10To Him who struck Egypt in their firstborn, 

           For His mercy endures forever; 

        11And brought out Israel from among them, 

           For His mercy endures forever; 

        12With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm, 

           For His mercy endures forever; 

        13To Him who divided the Red Sea in two, 

           For His mercy endures forever; 

        14And made Israel pass through the midst of it, 

           For His mercy endures forever; 

        15But overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, 

           For His mercy endures forever; 

        16To Him who led His people through the wilderness, 

           For His mercy endures forever; 

        17To Him who struck down great kings, 

           For His mercy endures forever; 

        18And slew famous kings, 

           For His mercy endures forever-- 

        19Sihon king of the Amorites, 

           For His mercy endures forever; 

        20And Og king of Bashan, 

           For His mercy endures forever-- 

        21And gave their land as a heritage, 

           For His mercy endures forever; 

        22A heritage to Israel His servant, 

           For His mercy endures forever. 

        23Who remembered us in our lowly state, 

           For His mercy endures forever; 

        24And rescued us from our enemies, 

           For His mercy endures forever; 

        25Who gives food to all flesh, 

           For His mercy endures forever. 

        26Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven! 

           For His mercy endures forever.

Psalm 150

PRAISE!

 1Praise the LORD.
Praise God in his sanctuary; 
praise him in his mighty heavens. 
2Praise him for his acts of power; 
praise him for his surpassing greatness. 
3Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, 
praise him with the harp and lyre, 
4praise him with tambourine and dancing, 
praise him with the strings and flute, 
5praise him with the clash of cymbals, 
praise him with resounding cymbals. 
6Let everything that has breath praise the LORD . 
Praise the LORD . 

Let everything that has breath, praise the Lord!

Thanks be to God

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! [And] thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. - 2Corinthians 9:15, 1Corinthians 15:57

Thanksgiving probably is more thought of as Turkey Day...food and football. That's what Glenn Beck proclaimed. When he asked what most people think it is, that was my immediate response, probably even out loud!

He took the word thanksgiving and broke it down into thanks and giving. Is that what we do? give thanks? And what are we thankful for and to whom do we owe these thanks?

I'm going to suggest you think about that for a few minutes.

Okay...we should be thankful for every day we have as long as we have it. That's a good place to start. How about being thankful for family and friends...even those who give us grief? Our health, even if we aren't the perfect picture of youth and vitality. We're still useful in some ways! Our homes, jobs, freedom, church, pets... Let's be particularly thankful for what freedoms we have while we can...

But there's one more "thing" to be thankful for. The most important thing. A God who brought everything we have into being. How often do we thank Him? Isn't that who the Pilgrims thanked when they settled here? How often do we thank Him for His Son Jesus for whom we owe the greatest thanks for the gift of salvation, that indescribable gift? A gift that keeps on giving, even after death. How often do we think that our families would not exist without His hand in the process? It is by His hand children are born. It is by His hand our food is available. And by His hand we are blessed.

There will be many this year who might not be able to rejoice as much because times are tougher for them. Will we reach out our hands a help in even the smallest of ways to help? If the days ahead grow slimmer for all of us, will we have the strength and perseverance to continue to thank God? We could start now...

I have a friend who thanks God every day for the little she has. She's content, as we all should be, with the basics and not much more. She knows who to thank and I believe because of being as content as she is, God continues to show His grace and provision upon her.

As Israel wandered with no food in the desert, God supplied them each day. They may have, unfortunately, been bored with what they got each day but they never went hungry or thirsty. I believe they thanked mostly when things were going well and, unfortunately, they quickly forgot. And then there's the loaves and the fishes story. When it was absolutely necessary, the bread and fish miraculously never ran out and fed thousands with some left over. Who's to say that doesn't happen today for those who trust the Lord? What is the saying: The Lord works in mysterious ways. That's not quite biblical but Psalm 77 says, You are the GOD who does wonders....and Your footsteps [were] not known. Whose to say?

We have it good in this country. We are envied. Well, maybe not as much today as a year ago. I would hate to see this country which for so many years worked hard to keep freedom and prosperity alive, fizzle. Let's be thankful right now. Let's keep in mind that even if things become bleak we need to thank God for supplying our needs. We are called to be thankful at all times. 1Thessalonians 5:18 - In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. If we ask he is gracious to give to those in relationship with Him.

I am thankful first for my God, then for the salvation I have in Jesus Christ. I'm thankful for what He has allowed me to have in my life, both good and bad, because everything has shaped me. He has shown me the direction I am headed and I'm thankful for the discernment and wisdom of this powerful and awesome God. I'm thankful for family and friends. I'm thankful for the roof over my head and even creature comforts. I know what it was like to have little and somehow I managed to get through. 

Our thankfulness at any time is a benefit. If we choose not to give thanks we are heaping bitterness, unhappiness, unforgiveness upon ourselves. A friend of a long time ago used to quote the second part of this scripture but seemed to overlook the first part: A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones. Proverbs 17:22. 

As this Thanksgiving week approaches, let's be thankful for all the nuisances and interruptions in our lives. Let's hold our tongues to the words of those less thankful and say something from a merry heart instead.

No matter where we are in life's circumstances, we can find something to be thankful for. It's my reminder that looking only at what we see in front of us or coming down the road, especially if it doesn't look good, can bring us down. Look up instead. Look to God. Look to Jesus for your help. Thank Him even now for the things He can provide in the future.

Unto You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens. [I will] seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added...Psalm 123:1, Matthew 6:33

Thank You

Genesis 17:8 - Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

Heavenly Father, I thank You for who You are. I thank You that You are our Creator, that You know everything about us, that You knit us together in our mothers' wombs and You care about every little part of us and every bit of our day to day lives. You even keep track of every hair on our head. Every tear we shed You hold in Your hand. You know our hearts. And it is You who leads us to the wonderful knowledge of who You are and teaches us these very things through the wisdom of Your Word.

When I think about my days before You I cared very little about You. I knew who You were, I believed in You and I knew who Jesus was. And that was good enough for me. I believed You were such a good God that You would allow everyone into heaven. I knew so little about You then and I am so thankful that You cared enough about me to woo me and call my name that I might find out what a relationship with You really is. I'm so thankful that You have opened my eyes, my heart and my mind to the wisdom in Your Word. I'm thankful that through this wisdom I am daily finding out more and more about You.

I thank You for the friends I have cultivated because of the unity we have in You. We are Your children, Your priceless treasures, heirs with Jesus on the Throne, and you have made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve You. What an honor that is. This is just too incomprehensible at times. I thank You this is for anyone who chooses to hear Your voice and answer the call to become children of the Most High God. And it's no more than that, answering the call. It's by Your grace and nothing more. Not working to win Your love or Your appreciation, but asking to become in Christ through our turning from our worldly ways and having faith in You. 

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God...That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved...for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."  - Ephesians 2:8, Romans 10:9, 13


You consider us part of Abraham's seed, those to whom You vowed a promised land--eternal life in heaven. This world we live in is no more than a stepping stone to what lies ahead. We are no more than strangers mentioned above on this earth. 

I'm so thankful it doesn't take more than a heart-filled acknowledgement that You are our Savior, our Redeemer, our soon-coming King. It is in You that we live and move and have our being. There is nothing we can do on our own. It's all through the mighty power You have and the urging You do in our lives to draw us closer to You so we might hear Your voice for ourselves and act accordingly.

I thank You that Your Word is Your love letter to us. Page by page You share who You are with us and show us Your wisdom, Your miracles, Your grace, Your deliverance, Your love, Your redeeming powers. I can't imagine not wanting to turn the next page to find out the next great promise You have for me.

I love how You weave an intricate web of detail into Your character. Sometimes it's so deep it's a revelation that I even understand the gist of it...and I'm sure I'm still only understanding just the surface of who You are and what You have to say. I thank You I never grow weary of thinking of You. And the thought that You care about the smallest of details...simply amazing. 

These few words probably don't even express what's truly in my heart. It's hard to put feelings into the exact words. But You know, Lord. You know. 

As I begin my day, I pray that You will touch the hearts of others who don't understand. I ask that You soften calloused hearts, fearful hearts, skeptical hearts, proud hearts, angry hearts, evil hearts. I ask that You reveal Yourself to the world in a powerful way. I'm so thankful that despite those who would try to diminish who You are, You will remain victorious. Your plan in this world will come to fruition even if You need to bring tragedy first. How else will others believe? How else will they see that it is through Your strong hand that you will deliver those who choose to submit and follow? 

We are a disobedient lot of people. We are stubborn, proud, vain and foolish, to name a few things. You can cause anyone to submit. But at the same time, You will not force anyone to follow You. I sometimes don't know how to pray for them. I may not always have the full amount of love that You do. A fault of mine, I'm sure. But nothing You can't fix! 

Lord, help me see Your hand in my life more clearly. Direct my steps, light my path, clear the way and open the doors of opportunity; interrupt my day. Remove anything that gets in Your way for my life.

This is just a small part of what is in my heart. Let these few words be my worship for You this day. In Jesus' name I pray....Amen.

Galatians 3:27-29 - For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.