Connecting Through the Word The Key to a Grateful and Thankful Spirit Psalm 26:1-7 1 Vindicate me, O LORD, For I have walked in my integrity. I have also trusted in the LORD; I shall not slip. 2 Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; Try my mind and my heart. 3 For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes, And I have walked in Your truth. 4 I have not sat with idolatrous mortals, Nor will I go in with hypocrites. 5 I have hated the assembly of evildoers, And will not sit with the wicked. 6 I will wash my hands in innocence; So I will go about Your altar, O LORD, 7 That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving, And tell of all Your wondrous works. David was a man after God s own heart! David was used to write some of the greatest words of comfort and encouragement in the Bible and in the world. And as we will learn next week, despite his situation and circumstances he was able to keep a thankful spirit as we see from these verses in Psalms. Psalm 30:4 Sing praise to the LORD, You saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. Psalm 30:12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever. Psalm 35:18 I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people. Psalm 69:30 I will praise the name of God with a song, And will magnify Him with thanksgiving. The Meaning of Thankfulness Thankfulness is an important subject in the Word of God and something the Apostle Paul wrote about in his epistles. Some combination of the word is found between 170 and 190 times in the Bible depending on the translation. Paul uses the concept over 40 times in his epistles and seven times in Colossians alone (cf. 1:2, 3, 12; 2:7; 3:15, 17; 4:2).
The concept of thankfulness in the New Testament comes from the use of two Greek words. The first is charizomai, which comes from charis, "grace." The second is homologeo, "to confess, acknowledge," (Heb. 13:15), (cf. also exomologeo, [Matt. 11:25]). Thankfulness is a mental and/or verbal expression of one's acknowledgement and appreciation of God's person, His grace, blessings, and sovereign work in one's life and the world. Some key ideas related to thankfulness are: biblical understanding, trust, humility and grace, the right focus and values, and joy. It is through the possession and function of these qualities that we become thankful. So, why should we be thankful? Some General Reasons Why We Should Be Thankful 1. Because It Honors God. When we are thankful, we recognize that God exists, and we are acting on the reality of His life as the very source and means of ours. True thankfulness recognizes our total dependence on God and stems from realizing that everything going on in our lives and all we have is the product of God's sovereign control, infinite wisdom, purposes, grace, and activity. 2 Corinthians 4:15 For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. 2. Because It Is Commanded In Scripture. First, the Psalms are filled with the call to give thanks. Psalms 100:4 "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name." 1 Thessalonians 5:18 "In everything keep on giving thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" Colossians, 3:15, 17 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
3. Because Of The Dangerous Consequences Of Thanklessness: Thanklessness is dangerous to self and others. It dishonors God and leads to proud humanism or dependence on man rather than God. Romans 1:21 Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. We Become Ungrateful and Unthankful When We Put Self on the Throne of Our Life Instead of God. We think we deserve something. We think we are entitled. We believe and think that God and life owes us what we want. We have expectations that we should have and are going to get something. We deserve to be happy! We deserve to be loved! We deserve to be healthy! We deserve to be financially well off. We deserve to have what someone else has. We deserve to get that promotion. We deserve to have a husband or wife. We deserve to have children. We deserve to be recognized or honored or rewarded. This list could go on and on! We are not content with what we have. Philippians 4:11-12 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 2 Corinthians 12:10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 1 Timothy 6:8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. Hebrews 13:5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you.
but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. In addition, it leads to bitterness, complaining, and a joyless life. Hebrews 12:14-16 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. Since thankfulness is a response to the grace of God, its opposite, bitterness with its companions, complaining and grumbling, are the product of an unthankful heart that fails to properly respond to God in faith to His person, infinite wisdom, grace and purposes. Thanklessness promotes pettiness and occupation with self, people, and problems. That in turn creates depression and feelings of hopelessness because we become focused on our problems rather than on the Lord. 2 Corinthians 2:14 But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and who makes known through us the fragrance that consists of the knowledge of him in every place. This verse in 2 Corinthians demonstrates that a thankful and God-focused person counts on God and His triumph and will manifests the sweet fragrance of a life filled with the knowledge of Christ rather than the spirit of bitterness and complaining. Thankfulness becomes a spiritual barometer. It is an evidence of the condition of our spiritual life and value system, which should give us a warning if we have ears to hear. Ephesians 5:1-5 1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.
4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. For verse 4, the context or focus is living as children of God rather than as children of the world Ephesians 5:18 & 20 and be filled with the Spirit. giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thankfulness is the fruit of the Spirit Who is in control of our life, The Time For Thanksgiving (The When And Where) First, we should give thanks whenever we pray. Scripture teaches us, both by illustration (Eph. 1:16; Phil. 1:3-4; Col. 1:3; 1 Thess. 1:2) and by direct admonition (Phil. 4:6; Col. 4:2), that prayer should generally be accompanied by or offered in a context of thanksgiving. The reason is perhaps found in the very nature of thanksgiving! Thanksgiving turns our eyes from our problems and ourselves to the Lord that we might focus on Him and His sovereign grace. It helps us to see life through the perspective of God's person, principles, promises, plan, provisions, and purposes. Then, as this happens, this upward focus promotes faith and courage in the face of the trying and painful situations that we all eventually face to one degree or another. Second, we should always give thanks in everything and for everything 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Why? In addition to the reasons already given, it helps us to focus on the sovereignty of God and the fact that He is in control and working all things together for good regardless of how they may seem to us in our limited perspective. Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. Genesis 50:19-20 But Joseph said to them, Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. While all things may not be good, God uses them for good, the good of making us like His Son. Also, since a spirit of thanksgiving keeps our eyes on the Lord, it also keeps us alert and promotes an eagerness to go to God in prayer to lay our burdens and those of others at His feet. Psalm 68:19-20 Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. Selah Our God is a God of salvation, and to GOD, the Lord, belong deliverances from death. Colossians 4:2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. Finally, we should always give thanks because it protects us against the dangers and consequences of thanklessness mentioned above. Some Objects Of Thanksgiving (The What) We should give thanks for God Himself and for His sovereign activity and control over the universe. What a hopeless world this world would be if all things had no purpose and we re merely the product of time plus chance. Colossians 1:11-14 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
We should give thanks for our salvation through Christ and for the unfathomable riches that are ours in Him (Eph. 3:8). After all, we are blessed with every spiritual blessing, and we are complete in Him (Eph. 1:3; Col. 2:10). As illustrated so often by Paul in the salutation of his epistles, we should give thanks for others who know the Savior and are growing and serving the Lord. Some Contrasts To Consider In Conclusion! While many things might be mentioned, here are a few contrasts to consider. (a) Thankfulness is the opposite of selfishness. The selfish person says, "I deserve what comes to me. God and others ought to make me happy and fulfill my expectations." (b) Thankfulness is the opposite of murmuring and pettiness. The thankless person is one who is focused on his problems and thinks he deserves better. (c) Thankfulness is the opposite of pride. The thankless person thinks he deserves what he has or better than what he has. (d) Thankfulness is the opposite of self-trust. The thankless person tends to depend on His own merit and abilities. The thankful person, on the other hand, seeks to triumph and live by the grace of God rather than by his own ingenuity or selfsufficiency (1 Cor. 15:57; 2 Cor. 2:14). The Source Of A Thankful Heart: Some of the sources that promote thankfulness. (a) Since spiritual understanding is so vital to a thankful heart, a Word-filled life is a necessity Colossians 2:6-7 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Living in the Word keeps our focus where it belongs. (b) God has designed the Christian life to be lived under the control and influence of the Holy Spirit. Thus, the Spirit-filled life is a vital source of thankfulness (Eph. 5:18 with 20).
(c) Remembering who we are as God's children is another source of being thankful (Eph. 5:1 with 4b). (d) Remembering to what we have been called, to one body in which there should be peace, Colossians 3:14-15 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. (e) Remembering God s Greatest Gift to you and you respond by being a generous giver to others. 2 Corinthians 9:10-15 10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, 11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. 12 For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, 13 while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men, 14 and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you. 15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! Takers are ungrateful and unthankful people! Givers are both grateful and thankful and contented people!!!!! Which are you? Today, would you receive God s free indescribable gift of Salvation by faith and repentance through Jesus Christ.