Resolve the believer to acknowledge and thank God for all HIS bountiful blessing and favor; revealing the amazing blessing that a life steeped in thanksgiving experiences, as heartfelt thanks toward God constructs an atmosphere of intimate exchange with heaven
David asked the Lord, “Shall I chase them? Will I catch them? And the Lord told him, “Yes, go after them; you will recover everything that was taken from you!” —1 Samuel 30:8 (TLB)
Giving thanks is both expressing gratitude, and appreciating and acknowledging an action that brought joy, peace, provision or benefit into one’s life
Nothing was missing, small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken; David recovered all. —1 Samuel 30:19 (AMPC)
An Inconvenient Thanks
What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me? [How can I repay Him for all His bountiful dealings?]…I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving and will call on the name of the Lord. —Psalms 116:12,17 (AMPC)
Through Him, therefore, let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name. —Hebrews 13:15 (AMPC)
Peace, peace, to him who is far off [both Jew and Gentile] and to him who is near! says the Lord; I create the fruit of his lips, and I will heal him [make his lips blossom anew with speech in thankful praise]. —Isaiah 57:19 (AMPC)
- Thanks is not just an expression reserved for responding to abundance
- Thanks is also a demonstration of FAITH in the midst of our lack or loss
I can guarantee this truth: This is what will be done for someone who doesn’t doubt but believes what he says will happen: He can say to this mountain, ‘Be uprooted and thrown into the sea,’ and it will be done for him. That’s why I tell you to have faith that you have already received whatever you pray for, and it will be yours. —Mark 11:23-24 (GW)
This is the Kingdom expression of thanks during lack or loss
Jesus looked up and saw the large crowd coming toward him. He asked Philip, “Where will we buy food to feed these people?” Jesus said this to test him, for he already knew what he was going to do…Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said, “A youth here has five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that for a crowd like this?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.”…They sat down, about five thousand of them. Then Jesus took the bread. When he had given thanks, he distributed it to those who were sitting there. He did the same with the fish, each getting as much as they wanted. —John 6:5-11 (CEB)
Recovering All
Honoring God through thanksgiving is my
Wholeness is biblical recovery from loss
I must be thankful for who God is to activate God’s power to
As he entered one village, ten men approached him, but they kept their distance, for they were lepers. They shouted to him, “Mighty Lord, our wonderful Master! Won’t you have mercy on us and heal us?”
When Jesus stopped to look at them, he spoke these words: “Go to be examined by the Jewish priests.” They set off, and they were healed while walking along the way. One of them, a foreigner from Samaria, when he discovered that he was completely healed, turned back to find Jesus, shouting out joyous praises and glorifying God. When he found Jesus, he fell down at his feet and thanked him over and over, saying to him, “You are the Messiah.” This man was a Samaritan. “So where are the other nine?” Jesus asked. “Weren’t there ten who were healed? They all refused to return to give thanks and give glory to God except you, a foreigner from Samaria?”
Then Jesus said to the healed man lying at his feet, “Arise and go. It was your faith that brought you salvation and healing.” —Luke 17:12-19 (TPT)
I must be thankful for what I have because it adds
- Salvation to a Samaritan, intimacy and belonging to a foreigner