Let’s Give Thanks
Psalm 31:19 (NIV) How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you. Psalm 95:1-6 (KJV) “O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.”
Psalm 100 (KJV) “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”
Psalm 107:1 (NIV) “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
Psalm 145:7 (NIV) They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
1 Chronicles 29:11-13 (KJV) “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,for everything in heaven and earth is yours.Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom;you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you;you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks,and praise your glorious name.”
These are just a few of the verses from the Old Testament on being thankful.
I thought it would be nice to share with you all of my readers a few verses that show us always to be thankful to the Lord, especially since it is Americas thanksgiving holiday.
There was an even further thaksgiving day long before the American day of thanks, and that was in Nehemiahs day, Nehemiah 11:17 And Mattaniah the son of Micha, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, was the principal to begin the thanksgiving in prayer: and Bakbukiah the second among his brethren, and Abda the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.
The first American’s to land here came with religious freedom in mind and they had it. They were also starving, and cold and sick and dying, at least half of the adult’s who came to America that year died. Those who lived had their bibles and their faith and not much else. They decided to praise the Lord anyway. What the Lord did was to bring them people from those lands, that the pilgrims knew nothing about, and the Indians showed them how to garden, and catch fish and hunt. They had such an abundance that year that after the fall harvest, they celebrated their abundance by having a feast in which they invited the Indians to dinner. Thus the first thanksgiving. In short they gave thanks to the Lord. We should always be thankful but this time of year is an absolute time of knowing that God has been good to us.
We all should sit and give thanks to the Lord always. Count your blessings. Write them down if you have to. Count them and see exactly how God has provided for you and held you up, when you did not think you would make it through your tough times.
Matthew 11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Matthew 26:27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; John 11:41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. Revelation 4:9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever. Revelation 11:16-17 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
Psalms 50:14 Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:
Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Psalms 92:1 It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: Psalms 50:14 Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: Colossians 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. Hebrews 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. Ephesians 5:20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
Psalms 35:18 I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Nehemiah 12:31 Then I brought up the princes of Judah upon the wall, and appointed two great companies of them that gave thanks, whereof one went on the right hand upon the wall toward the dung gate:
Nehemiah 12:40 So stood the two companies of them that gave thanks in the house of God, and I, and the half of the rulers with me: Acts 27:35 And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat.
Ephesians 1:16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; Meaning give thanks for one another. Ephesians 5:20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 1 Thessalonians 1:2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; Psalms 30:4 Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.Psalms 97:12 Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
Psalms 106:1 Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Psalms 136:1-3 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever. With all of David’s repetition going on in giving thanks, do you think it is important? I definitely do. I personally am very thankful and begin all of my prayers with thanksgiving to the Lord.
2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. Revelation 11:17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. Romans 7:23-25 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. For Wisdom in the Lord, Daniel 2:23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter.
The list goes on and on of the verses that mention giving thanks to God our Father. Think about it this way, when you do something for someone, though you do not need thanks for it, you do hope for it. The Lord does for us daily, we should thank Him on a constant basis for all he is, all he does, and all he is going to do. When you have abundance to give to other’s, give thanks that you are able.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving day!
Love in Christ Jesus,Tammy