“Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God, giving thanks to His name.
Heb. 13:15
God’s good hand provides everything that we need and much more every day! What is at the top of your “thanks list” to God? Things or God Himself? Health or God’s treasures? Happiness or His joy? And the list goes on.
The NIV instructs us in verses 16, 17, and 18 of 1 Thess. 5 how to be able to offer paeans of thankfulness: “Be joyful always, pray continually” and one more, “give thanks in all circumstances.” Ouch! How? We can thank Him for His presence and strength that will carry us through the deepest distress. Remember: God is not dead. At the same time remember: God has purposes to be accomplished, and for us to accomplish, that are beyond our wildest comprehension.
James McDonald’s commentary presents in Romans 8:28 that a Christian ought to be able to “praise the Lord at all times, in all circumstance, and for everything…” (Believer’s Bible Commentary). Ouch! The Holy Spirit is helping me work on that!
Giving thanks to God should be the Christian’s natural emotion. NAW
God provides us with wisdom, strength, power, infinite love, and unmerited grace. He also gives us talents and abilities to enjoy things of this life. Don’t forget. Every mercy He gives increases our obligation to thank Him. Thanksgiving is never out of season!
“A paraplegic, wheeling himself among the busy crowd was asked how he could sing in his condition. He answered with a smile, ‘When I stopped [thinking] at what I had lost and concentrated on all I had left, I found much for which I could rejoice and be happy.’ ”
Martin Rinckart, the German author of “Now Thank We All Our God,” lost his wife in the severe epidemic of 1637. He was driven to despair to find food and clothes for his children. Yet he triumphed to pen, “O may this bounteous God thro’ all our life be near us, with ever joyful hearts, and blessed peace to cheer us.” The first stanza expresses God’s “countless gifts of love.” The last stanza is a doxology of praise to the “all powerful, eternal, triune God.”
The grand finale: “To God be the glory—great things He hath done.”
Norma Whitcomb
(Excerpts from Norma Whitcomb’s 2015 Blog)
