Every morning, a sunrise after the night. Thank-You God for the new day. An opportunity for a fresh start. God is faithful. “From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised!” (Psalm 113:3, ESV). We have so much to be thankful for. We have so much beauty around us in God’s creation; God has blessed us much. We thank God for Who He is, and all He has done for us. God is generous, and has given us much.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, NIV). Jesus, “…beloved Son…” (Luke 3:22, ESV) sacrificed and won the victory for us on the cross. We each need a Saviour. We “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24, NIV). When we each for ourself accept Jesus as our Saviour, we are saved and redeemed. We can look forward to an eternity with God, instead of without God. And this is all in grace and mercy. We have much to give thanks to God for. God’s mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). We need to give thanks to God for how kind He is, and for the compassion He shows us. Thank God for His character. For loving us like no other, and consistently being available to us. For never leaving us, and being patient with us. For guiding us, and wanting what is best for us. For rescuing us, and for helping us.
I am so thankful for how God has answered our prayers, and continues to, for my nation South Africa. It is truly miraculous how so many people from different heritage are united in South Africa. Praise God! We have an opportunity to start over where things need to be restored, and God is so at work in the lives of His children. I have already heard of such beautiful testimonies of God at work uniting people and restoring communities. I am seeing a positive change. God answered our prayers regarding our elections, and new fresh starts have already begun. God loves everyone in the world, including us. God has shown us such mercy and kindness. We must make sure we stay humble, and keep reaching out to God. We keep praying.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, we are encouraged to “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (ESV). In our prayers, we give thanks. I hope I do not take for granted what God has done for our nation South Africa. I hope I do not take what Jesus did for me for granted. I have experienced where I have been taken for granted. It hurt, and I felt used. I was available and gave to others, creating an opportunity for them, but was not appreciated. I was still happy to have given, and have no regrets. I did however need to let God help me heal from the hurt, forgive and move on. I recognise I am not better than them. I also am an imperfect human being. I unfortunately have my moments of taking my blessings for granted.
I wonder if God feels unappreciated at times. I would hope that we as children of God are not rushing ahead to the next thing without saying thank-You. God is good. God is holy and worthy of all our praise. God is worthy of our thanks.
People for generations have been giving thanks to God. Many of the psalms were sung as songs, worshipping God. Psalm 9, a Psalm of David, was written to give thanks to God:
“I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;
I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.
I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High” (Psalm 9:1-2, ESV).
In Psalm 95 we are encouraged to “…sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!” (Psalm 95:1-2, ESV). One of my favourite psalms, Psalm 100, is a psalm for giving thanks; “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations” (Psalm 100:4-5, ESV). There are many other psalms giving thanks to God, including for His steadfast love.
Jehoshaphat and the people of God in Judah thanked God for His steadfast love. In fact, they did it, as the first action before going into battle.
When Jehoshaphat “…had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say,
“Give thanks to the Lord,
for his steadfast love endures forever.”
And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed” (2 Chronicles 20:21-22, ESV).
God gave them the victory. Worship was a weapon, and it is for us too. Jesus gave us the victory. “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57, ESV). We can have victory in living out the plans God has for us. There are times when I feel so defeated, but thanks to God for having the final say in my life. As apostle Paul wrote, “But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere” (2 Corinthians 2:14, ESV). We ask ourselves how we are living our lives, and if through us God is reaching others. We need to be abounding in thanksgiving. As “…you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6-7 ESV). In our daily walk, we consider what we are doing and what we are saying. “Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving” (Ephesians 5:4, ESV). What we do and say matters; living life with thankfulness to God in our hearts. We teach and “…counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts (Colossians 3:16, NLT).
What song is ‘in your head’? Is it a song of thanksgiving? Or is another song in your head distracting you? What could stop us from giving thanks? We could be distracted by the worries of what is going on in our lives or in the world around us. We may have been hurt and need God to heal us. We could forget that God wants to help us, and forget how He sees us. We could think God has forgotten us, because things have not gone as we had hoped. We may not be aware that we matter, and what we do and say matters. We may not know that God has good plans for each of us. We may compare ourselves to others. I sometimes need that reminder to be grateful for what God has given me, and I am only accountable for what God has given me to do. I am unique and precious. You are unique and precious. I thank God for where He has brought me from, all He has done and all He is doing. I encourage you to remember to celebrate what God has done for you. We give God thanks for He is, and all He has done.
Prayer
Dear Father God,
You are so worthy of our thanks. Thank-You for who You are, and all You have done. “But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise” (Psalm 79:13, ESV). Your “…steadfast love endures forever” (Psalm 136:1, ESV).
I give You thanks. It is not possible to thank You enough. Thank-You for Your mercy and grace, in making a way for me to be saved, Jesus. I am sorry for times I have taken for granted, You and Your blessings given to me. May I glorify You God in how I live my life. Come Holy Spirit and have Your way in my life. Thank-You for helping and refreshing me, and for restoring in my life where it is needed. I want to live a life abounding in thanksgiving. Praise to You Lord God!
“…“Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!” (Revelation 7:12, NIV).
In Jesus name, Amen.