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GIVING THANKS
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Thanksgiving is an activity in which we give to God
instead of asking Him to give to us, because the grateful heart has access
to God’s grace. To understand what it is to give thanks, we can start with
Hebrews 12:28, “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let
us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly
fear.” The King James Version says, “Let us have grace,” the NIV says, “Let
us be thankful.”
The word in the Greek for grace is CHARIS, which requires
one to say “Thank you.” There is a direct connection between grace and
thankfulness, between receiving grace and giving thanks. When we are
unthankful, we are out of the grace of God. We cannot enjoy God’s grace without
being thankful. Nor can we separate thankfulness from the grace of God. And
whether we say, “Let us be thankful.” or “Let us have grace.” we are really
saying the same thing.
(Colossians 3:15-17; Ephesians 5:18-20)
When you are full of the Holy Ghost, you will continually
give God thanks. You can measure the fullness of the Spirit within you partly
by that very criterion -- how much time you spend giving God thanks.
When you cease to do so, it is just one sure indication
you are beginning to leak out. In First Thessalonians 5:18, the Word says “In
every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning
you”. What is the will of God in Christ Jesus? It is “To give thanks in
everything”. So, if you are not giving thanks, as we see in this verse, you are
actually out of the will of God.
Many Christian workers are in the right place, doing the
right job, but still feel out of the will of God. It was and is not because of
the place or the job; it is because they have ceased to be continually
thankful. So remember, the moment you cease to be thankful, you are out of the
will of God not necessarily for what you are doing, but because you are not
responding appropriately to God’s goodness.
In Philippians 4:6, Paul exhorts the church to “Be
careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” He is saying here:
“Never bring a request to God without thanksgiving. Whatever request you have,
bring it with thanks.” Without exception, every request to God is a desire to
obtain access to the goodness or kindness of God. If you desire His
goodness, then give Him His praise. “Worry about nothing; Pray about
everything; and Watch your attitude.”
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