The root word in Greek for “Thanks” is “chair, char,” which means “JOY.” Therefore “THANKS” is expressing Joy.
- A THANKFUL HEART- IS A JOYFUL HEART BRIMMING OVER WITH THANKSGIVING.
- A THANKLESS HEART IS A – JOYLESS HEART- BRIMMING OVER WITH COMPLAINING AND DISATISFACTION…
THE word “Thanks,” – Originally it meant – A THANKFUL ATTITUDE. Later it came to Mean- The EXPRESSION of THANKS. In the Scriptures Thanks is seldom giving from one person to another. Usually one person GIVES THANKS TO GOD for Another person. Thus, the Glory and the Thanks are due mainly to God not to other people.
The English Preacher John Henry Jowett once wrote , “Every Virtue Divorced from Thankfulness is Maimed and Limps Along the Spiritual road.” Helen Keller- a bright and shining example of Godly Living said, “Three things I thank God for every day of my life; Thanks that He has vouchsafed me knowledge of His Works; Deep thanks He has set in the darkness the lamp of faith; Deep, deepest thanks that I have another life to look forward- a life joyous with light and flowers and heavenly song.” Helen Keller was born both Blind and deaf- and yet she made the Choice to be Thankful!
SCRIPTURE VERSES ON THANKFULNESS TO GOD
God’s Will you be Saying Thanks continually;
It is the will of God for you at this moment irrespective of your circumstances that you be a thankful individual. Did you know there is no one outside of you can stop you from making the choice to obey the command to be thankful? You are not only commanded to be thankful, you have the capacity to be thankful, it comes down to a choice of loves. Do you love Him enough to obey His command and chose to be thankful?. Gods people, including you should be marked by thankfulness, a people who express gratitude, His will is that you be saying thanks continually. I Thessalonians 5:18, “in every thing give thanks for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1. – THANKSGIVING GLORIFIES GOD. Do you remember the story about the 10 lepers when Jesus told them He would heal them? And as they went on the way, they were healed. And one came back, and Jesus said, “Where are the other 9? Has only one returned to glorify God?” How did he glorify God? He was thankful.
Who is to be the FOCUS of Thanksgiving?
GOD IS to Be!! God is to be The OBJECT OF OUR THANKS GIVING. Psalm 100:3-4 says, – “Give thanks to Him; …”
What should you be Thankful for?
Thankful to Him for His…
A. GOODNESS– 1 Chron 16:34 “ O Give thanks to the Lord for He is GOOD, for His Lovingkindness is everlasting.”
Thank Him for His...
B. VICTORY – 1 Cor 15:57 – “But THANKS BE TO GOD who GIVES us the VICTORY through our Lord Jesus Christ.” – Victory over sin, satan and death…
Thank God for His…
C. SALVATION – 2 Cor 9:15 – “Thanks Be TO GOD for His Indescribable gift.”
Give thanks to Him for…
D. CHANGED LIVES– 2 Thes 1:3 – “We ought ALWAYS TO GIVE THANKS TO GOD for you brethren, as is only fitting, BECAUSE your faith is Greatly enlarges and the love of each one of you toward one another GROWS even Greater.”
Give thanks to Him for…
E. Other Christians/ The Family of God – Phil 1:3 – “ I give THANKS to God upon every remembrance of You..”
WHY?
F. BEING ABLE TO PARTICIPATE in the gospel with OTHERS. – Phil 1:3 “ I thank my God upon my every remembrance of you all… in view of your PARTICIPATION in the Gospel from the first day until now.”
2. – THANKFULNESS IS TO PERMEATE YOUR PRAYING. – * Phil 4:6 “ Be anxious in Nothing but in EVERYTHING by prayer and supplication WITH THANKSGIVING… let your requests be made known unto God and the peace of god which surpasses all understanding shall guard your heart and minds in Christ Jesus.” “Devote yourselves to prayer keeping alert through an attitude of thanksgiving.” – Col 4:2
3. THANKFULNESS FOR PREVIOUS BLESSINGS
G. Give Him thanks for PRAYERS ANSWERED.
John 11:41 – ” Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.”
“WHEN you pray you are to HAVE AN ATTITUDE of GRATITUDE.
Stop and remember His Person, His Goodness, His Son who makes it all possible for you to have the ear of God when you speak…“In everything Give thanks for this IS THE WILL OF GOD FOR YOU in Christ Jesus.”
One of the evidences a lost individual is the sin of INGRATITUDE.
Rom 1:21… “ For even though they KNEW God they did not honor Him as God or GIVE THANKS….Phil 2:14 – “ DO ALL things without Grumbling or Complaining.”
HEAVEN is a PLACE Permeated with CONTINUAL Thanksgiving to God.
Rev 4: 9 – “ And when the living creatures give glory and honor and THANKS TO HIM who sits on the Throne, to Him who lives forever and ever.”
GODS PEOPLE ON EARTH are to BE a THANKFUL people
1 Thess 5:18 says “ In Everything GIVE THANKS…FOR THIS IS THE WILL of God for you in Christ Jesus.”
THANKS GIVING IS JOY OVERFLOWING –
What are we to be thankful for, God is to be the focus and object of our Thanksgiving
Psalm 100:3-4 says, “Give thanks to Him.” God is to be the object of our thanksgiving.
What are we thankful to Him for?
- I Chronicles 16:34, we are to be thankful for His goodness.
- I Corinthians 15: 57, we are to be thankful for His victory.
- II Corinthians 9:15, we are to be thankful for salvation.
- II Thessalonians 1:3, we are to give thanks for changed lives.
- Philippians 1:3 we are to give thanks to God for other Christians.
This “Thanksgiving” I thank God that he has had mercy upon me- again- and that the sentence of death told by a Dr to my wife concerning me- He overruled…. and to be with my wife and five children this Thanksgiving is all because of His mercy- and I am thankful to Him… and thankful to Him for HIS provision of life and His love and thanking God for – YOU- HIS BELOVED{Rom 1:7
REVISIT THE ABOVE VERSES- AND GLORIFY HIM AND DO HIS WILL, THROUGH THANKING HIM SPECIFICALLY.