November 24 – Thanks Giving Every Day

“Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness, And for His wonders to the sons of men!” Psalm 107:21 (NASB)

Giving thanks is an important activity in the life of faith believers. We’re commanded to be thankful for everything and that is not always easy. This week we have celebrated Thanksgiving Day in the USA. To the north in Canada, our friends have celebrated Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October. But whenever we pause for a national day of thanksgiving, it is good to think of the real reason we do that. We have reason to make every day a day of Thanksgiving.  Today's verse is just one of many that focuses on giving thanks to the Lord. He is certainly worthy of our thanks. He has done so much for each of us. He has loved us and because of His love He has brought us into His family. Some of us will be together with our earthly family and we should remember God's help for each of our loved ones and let's be thankful that God has brought us into His family.

 

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May 1 –Lifting Up Our Cups

“What shall I render to the Lord For all His benefits toward me? I shall lift up the cup of salvation And call upon the name of the Lord.” – Psalm 116:12-13 (NASB)

The benefits we faith believers receive from the LORD are more numerous than what we can count or list. They are poured out upon His children because He is a merciful God, loving and without change. God needs nothing and puts no price on His free mercy and grace. Although many believe and strive to “be good enough” to earn God’s approval, such acts do nothing to secure their salvation.  The psalmist says something interesting “I shall lift up the cup of salvation.” This is the only place in the Old Testament where this exact phrase is used. It might have the meaning of ‘the cup’ in Psalms 16:5; 23:5; which speak of the circumstances God provides to the redeemed. In contrast may be Psalm 75:8  and the cup of God’s wrath. Drink offerings were part of thank offerings in:  Exodus 29:40-41.  More likely it refers to that part of the sacrifice included with his thank offerings. Both grain and drink both expressed thanks for having received salvation – which delivered them death. The cup is lifted up in praise to the LORD of Hosts.  Others hearing are edified, which is one of the purposes of public praise. 

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August 09 – Wasted But Renewed

“ For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.” – 2 Corinthians 4:15-16 (ESV)

It is true that the physical bodies are by nature in a steady decay. There is no miracle or magical method that will arrest what the Apostle Paul calls ‘wasting away.’ That fact does not stop our unending search for renewal; attempting to find ways to slow the physical decline and maintain the vitality of youth. Our verses come in this chapter just after Paul has detailed what he has experienced in his body on account of his effort to bring the gospel and teaching of Jesus Christ to them. All that has happened has been for the sake of those who were served in Paul’s ministry. In other words, when the gospel enters the hearts and lives of an ever-increasing number of people, God’s grace abounds. These are fellow believers who begin to lead unbelievers to Christ. And as a result, all believers can now live to please God and express their thanks to him. The effect of physical decay on Paul didn't mean that he lost heart and we shouldn’t either. We are promised that the eternal part of us which is within our soul and spirit is renewed every day.

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March 16 – All Within Reach

“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” – 1 Timothy 2:1-4 (NIV)

Is it possible that the turmoil caused by governments in many countries result in a certain amount of anxiety? Is it possible that we find ourselves seeking how to respond or pray for those in leadership? So much seems bent on an evil course.  Because Jesus always prays, we can always pray. Every sinner is in the reach of God’s grace, and no sinner is beyond the need for prayer. When the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, he gave these instructions for prayer. God desires all kinds of men and women to be saved. So he instructs us to pray for the salvation of all kinds of men and women. No boundary is set to limit our prayers for the salvation of the lost. We are to follow in obedience these instructions even though we know it is God who saves. He chose us even before the foundation of the world. It may seem like a contradiction or dichotomy we cannot resolve. In our limited abilities to reason and understand, it is just that. But it is what God has given us to do. Pray for all, exclude none as our Lord God has assigned to us this duty.  

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November 30 – Correct Magnification

“I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving.”  Psalm 69:30 (ESV)

If we're to magnify something, how do we go about doing it? We have two options. Use a telescope which brings really big things visually closer so we can see more detail clearly. The fuzzy dot in the sky called Saturn can be seen with its distinct rings. The other option is using a microscope which makes very small things⸺even those that cannot be seen with our eye, appear much larger than they are. A minute particle is made large enough for us to see detail clearly. In our verse today, David declares that he will “magnify God” with his thanksgiving. He does not mean that he will make a small God look bigger than He is.  He does mean that he will make a big God begin to look as big as he really is. So, perhaps we are called not to be microscopes but to be telescopes. We magnify God. In doing that we bring Him closer and more visible. John Piper says this; “The whole duty of the Christian can be summed up in this: feel, think, and act in a way that will make God look as great as he really is."

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Thanks to DesiringGod by John Piper 

November 29 – Gratitude Returns

“It is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:15  (ESV )

Gratitude is a positive and joyful emotion and especially so when it is for what God has for us.  We have a sense of joyful appreciation for his grace. Does that mean, in a sense, we are still the beneficiaries of the very emotion of gratitude? By its very nature, gratitude exalts the giver. When we feel thankful, we acknowledge our need and God’s fullness, the riches of his glory. Just as when we humble ourselves and exalt the service provider in when we say, “Thank you,” so we humble ourselves and exalt God when we even feel gratitude to him. The difference, of course, is that we really are infinitely in debt to God for his grace, and everything he does for us is free and undeserved. The wonderful thing about the gospel is that the response it requires from us for God’s glory is most natural and; namely, thankfulness for grace. God’s all-supplying glory in giving and our humble gladness in receiving are not in competition. Joyful thankfulness glorifies God.  A life that gives glory to God for his grace and a life of deepest gladness are the same life. And what makes them one is thankfulness.

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Thanks to Desiring God and John Piper for this contribution.   

November 19 – Precious In His Sight

“Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of His godly ones. … To You I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, And call upon the name of the Lord.”  Psalm 116:15 & 17  (NASB)

The psalmist recalls how he faced certain death and God acted to save him. God extended his life of service. He vowed to acknowledge the Lord and to pay his vows in the temple. Psalm 116 is a personal song of thanksgiving for deliverance from impending death. While physical death is imminent in respect to the span of all time, we do not dwell on the thought so much. Until we become aware that it is looming. If we have not yet been in that situation we all likely know someone who has or is. The psalmist wrote this song because when he experienced the nearness of death, he cried for help, God pulled him out of danger of death. So, he promises to let all people know how thankful he is. His words of praise to God and the giving of a proper thanksgiving sacrifice are done publicly. Like he stood on the steps leading into the Temple and affirmed his thanks to God to all. We know God cares about each of us, even when physical death comes our way. Our promise is that our life, the life of every believer, is precious to God

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November 18 – Giving Thanks Is A Gift

“ You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.”   2 Corinthians 9:11–12. (ESV)

Do you ever consider how our thankfulness to God is a sacrifice pleasing to Him. Context is important in our selected verses. The Apostle Paul in this second letter to the believers in Corinth is encouraging them to be generous with what God has given them to live on. Paul was collecting offerings to help the saints in Jerusalem who were facing a pressing need under persecution. Paul teaches us two reasons for giving generously. First: A principle holds true in both the natural and the spiritual spheres: the size of a harvest corresponds to the range of the sowing. One can enjoy all their grain by consuming it, or they may reduce their store of it by sowing it and later reaping a bountiful harvest. Another reason for giving generously is that God loves us generosity. God esteems not the size of the gift but the giver’s attitude, sincerity (not reluctantly), choice (not under compulsion), and joyful willingness of a cheerful giver. The more one gives to others, the more they are enriched, and thus they can be generous in giving. Such a generous spirit toward others results in more and more people giving God the gift of thanksgiving.

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July 6 – Think First, Post Second

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”- 1 Timothy 2:1–2 (ESV)

We are inundated with various “social” media. We find ourselves expressing our emotional opinions on our accounts.  What are we saying about those in authority over us? Our opinion that those in leadership are all kinds of despicable people is only an excuse, not a reason. We too often fail to follow God’s commandments and so also fail to experience the blessings of the promise given to us in this verse today.  Apostle Paul’s circumstances and his world when he wrote this letter to his co-worker Timothy were not at all friendly toward Christians.  In fact they were facing some serious persecutions.  Paul was in prison for his faith yet he tells Timothy who he should be praying for.  However we pray, thanksgivings are to be a part of the prayers for ALL PEOPLE. We can’t escape it; we are to pray for all who are in high positions.  Why?  So that we may lead a life that is peaceful, quiet, godly, and dignified in every way. Perhaps this is why we’re missing out on this promise? Let’s consider this the next time we think of a snappy Twitter or Facebook quip or meme about those in a high position over us.

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November 26 – Prayer Wrapped in Thanks

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6 (NIV)

There are verses in God's Word that we find ourselves thinking about frequently and today's verse is one of those.  But we look at this familiar passage this week because of one very important word which is often overlooked when the verse is considered.  The verse reminds us about the importance of thanksgiving in prayer.  It is possible that many times we consider this verse as an instruction on how to not worry or be anxious but instead we are to pray about things that we might otherwise find our anxiety growing.  God does not want us to worry, fret, or be anxious.  So of course it encourage us to pray about such things. We notice that it very importantly encourages us to thank God. Our prayers and petitions are presented wrapped with our thanksgiving to God. We give our thanks because we know God hears and cares and will answer.  So let us never forget that when we pray we should also thank God for all His goodness and love for us.

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August 6 – From. Through. To.

“For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”  Romans 11:36 -  (NASB)

These words from the letter to the Romans are the closing words of a song of praise to God.  They reminds us what a great God we have and how we should praise Him.  We praise Him because of the good things that come from Him.  He has given us so much which we would not have received otherwise. We want to praise God because we have received not only from Him but through Him too.  Some good things come to us from others because of God's love.  Therefore we should not forget to give Him praise and be thankful.  We are also reminded to thank God for the blessings to us from things which others have given to Him.  Things from which we enjoy the benefits.  God truly deserves our worship of praise and thanksgiving for He is the ultimate source of all good things in our lives. These things He promises to make available for us because we are His children.  

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June 7 – Necessary Activities

“Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving;” Colossians 4:2 (NASB)

In his letter to the Christ believers and followers in Colossae, the Apostle Paul gives these instructions.  These words remind us that praying to God is an important part of our daily activities as Christians.  We do not live our lives by ourselves and it is necessary to maintain our communication with God our Father.  It is from Him that we receive the help we need as we live day by day.  It is through prayer that we make our requests and God hears us.  That is a promise we find many places and it is understood in these instructions.  We are also instructed to maintain vigilance as we should be watchful and alert to God's provision of help and guidance for us.  The third instruction is for us to maintain thankfulness.  Our attitude, our state of mind, ought not be one of complaining but one of thanksgiving in all circumstances.  Why and how can we do this?  Because we know the promise of God is that He is listening, He cares for us and we can trust Him to do what is best for each of us.    

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June 4 – Peace Beyond Comprehension

“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 comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:6-7 (NASB)

Our God in heaven wants us to look toward Him and to depend on Him for our needs.  Our promise today is a promise of peace that is beyond our understanding. No matter what our circumstances or needs we face we are called here to not be anxious about anything.  Now, this may be a difficult principal but we are told that for those things that we might be anxious for, we are to bring them to our God in prayer.  As we bring them we present both our petitions – or supplication, since that is a petition offered humbly for a need.  With the petition we offer our thanksgiving because we know that God, who has promised to hear,  is listening and He cares about us.  God will respond with His peace and that peace will guard our hearts and minds from being anxious.  God's offer of peace comes to us when we take our troubles, needs, and worries to him in prayer and when we cease to be anxious.  What is our concern today?  Let's bring it to God and let Him know and let's be thankful because we know He cares.    

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December 16 – The Gift of Gifts

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.”  Isaiah 9:6a (NIV)

We come back to this verse in Isaiah that is a prophecy of the birth of Jesus.  We focus on the first part and the prediction of His purpose.  When we sing Christmas carols we are aware that some of them refer to the baby Jesus as a new King born to sit eventually on the throne of David.  We realize that some of the prophecies about His reign as King have not yet been fulfilled and this would include this prediction of the government being on His shoulders.  We do want to recognize, however that Jesus came to be governor in our lives.  We will do well to let Him be in control of the details of our lives and also of the general plan of things which concern us.  We can allow Him to be our governor and our King with confidence because we trust His promise that He loves us and He will lead us in the best way at all times.  God the Father gave us His Son so that we could be born again as a child of God with Jesus as our King and Lord.  Let that fill our thoughts today and result in praise and thanksgiving for this Gift of gifts.  

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November 21 – Peace from Thanksgiving

“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 comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:6-7 (NASB)

We have a verse today that is likely very well known.  Most times it is used to teach us the value of not being anxious, or to not worry about anything.  This is not something that is done with ease and it takes a great amount of practice.  God provides the opportunities for us to practice by allowing challenging and difficult times to come into our lives.  Today we are looking at another part of the verse.  This part tells us what we can do to defeat being anxious and to replace the worry – by being thankful in all things when we pray and request help from God.  Being thankful for the opportunity to trust His promises, especially when we are struggling with worry and anxiety.  Thankfulness to God is a powerful and wonderful method of receiving help when we ask for it.  And the promise we have is this – the peace of God becomes the guard of our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  It is beyond all our ability to comprehend just how God's peace becomes our guard, but it is promised to us by God and it comes after we have prayed with thanksgiving for all He has done and will do.  

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November 20 – Whatever Word or Deed

“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”  Colossians 3:17 (NASB)

We are thinking this week of the privilege which we have of thanking God for His involvement in our lives.  This is often mentioned in our Bible so we have chosen a verse on the subject from the letter to the people in Colossae in Asia Minor, now Turkey.  We are accustomed to the principle of praying to God in the name of Jesus.  We believe that when we ask God to do something for us and we base our request on our acceptance of Jesus as our Savior, God does act in our behalf.  It is very interesting that when we want to express our gratitude to God and to thank Him we approach Him in the same way, in the name of Jesus.  So, our access to God for giving thanks as well as for making requests, is always in that wonderful name of Jesus.  Let's remember this now during Thanksgiving week and beyond.  

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September 15 – Peace to Guard Us

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

Our selected verse today may be very familiar to many who follow this blog.  Even so, each time we read it and consider what it says we are confronted with the promise it brings to us.  The promise here is in one word – a verb – which we want to focus on today.  It's the verb “guard.”  When we bring our concerns to the Lord with an attitude of thanksgiving instead of worry or anxiety, we are promised the peace of God to guard our hearts and our minds.  What is the guard for? Isn't it to keep anxious worrisome things out of our hearts and minds?  Yes, these undesirable things don't belong and God promises to give us His peace to guard against them entering our mind and heart.  This peace removes the anxious feelings and thoughts which are not desirable from our lives when we bring our concerns to God in prayer with thanksgiving.  That is a promise we can trust and be thankful for.

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July 2 – Really, Don't Worry

“...do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV)

We often tell each other, “Don't worry about it.”  It's good advice but difficult to do and easy to say. In the letter to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul encourages the believers in Philippi to not be anxious about anything.  By saying “anything” Paul meant “anything at all”.  But he does not just end his words of encouragement there, he give us the option that brings us a promise.  Instead of worrying or being anxious, we can take our requests to our God in prayer.  More than a simple prayer request, Paul says to make it a  supplication.  That means asking for something earnestly and humbly.  Be heartfelt and serious and with faith believing when we pray.  Paul instructs one more thing, with thanksgiving.  This demonstrates that we know God cares, is listening, hears, and will answer.  The promise, if we will follow this approach is that we will experience a peace that comes from God, is beyond our understanding, will be a guard to our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.


[Editor: This day's contribution was authored by Paul Anderson]  

February 22 – Dependable

“Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!"  Psalm 115:1 (ESV)

The Psalms remind us of the many reasons we have for thanking and for praising our Lord. We notice that the purpose we praise God is to give Him glory. We do not worship God in order to generate good feelings within ourselves – although sincere praise does bring satisfaction and joy to to us. Our verse teaches us that the reason we have any reason for thankfulness and praise is because of God's love and because of His faithfulness. It is true, isn't it? The reason God helps us and does so much for is His love for us. His love is steadfast, it is lovingkindness that he has for us. When God does something for us, if He answers our prayers and meets our needs because of His love, not our merit.  God also helps us because He is faithful to His promises and to His character also.  He can be depended on, what He says, He will do.

December 14 – Praising and Thanking

“Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.” Hebrews 13:15 (NASB)

During the days before Christmas we hear about the angels who sang praises to God when Jesus was born. We know that angels do sing praises to God in heaven and the Bible urges us to sing His praises too. That is the message of our verse today. The reason the angels keep singing praises to God is because they know how great and wonderful He is. The more we know about our Lord, the more we will want to praise Him. Let's be careful during these days of activity before Christmas that we do not let the lights and the beauty of decorations distract us and cause us to forget God's greatness and His love for us. As we sing carols let's be sure to remember to really praise our God with all our hearts. Lets make it a time of truly praising and thanking God.