It’s Good To Give Thanks!

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Appreciate, Bless, blessings, grace, Thanks, Thanksgiving, Turkey

Psalms 92:1-2

“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most high; To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and they faithfulness every night.”

Thanksgiving is a time of giving thanks.  As you gather with your family and friends to give thanks remember it’s all about God.  Don’t focus on the negative things of the past but on the wonderful blessings of God.

Psalm 103:2 says “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” Well, what are those benefits?  The psalmist goes on to say, “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagles” (Ps. 103:3-5).  Wow! When we consider all these blessings we can’t help but give thanks.

When you give thanks for what God has done for you, you are giving thanks for those things that you have yet to see.  Whatever God says is done in the now and He doesn’t alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth (Ps. 89:34).  While you are giving thanks give thanks for those things that are yet seen.   Being thankful releases more grace in your life.  Think about this, when you do something for someone and they show their appreciation by saying thank you, it causes you to want to bless them again.

Therefore, as you give thanks to God for His blessings this season don’t forget to say thank you to those that God has used to be a blessing in your life.  “Oh give thanks unto the Lord for He is good and His mercy endureth forever” (Psalm 107:1).

God Expects You To Receive!

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Gifts, Jesus, Lengths, Receive, Sacrafice, Thanks

Isaiah 53:5

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him and with His stripes we are healed.”

Giving implies that someone will receive.  Even if you really don’t want to give or assume that the person will not receive there is still the expectation of someone receiving and when you really want someone to receive something you will go to whatever lengths to see to it that they get it.

This is exactly what God did for us.  He sent His only Son into this world to take our sins upon Him and receive the wrath and punishment of sin and die on the cross so that we could receive His life.  God crushed His only begotten Son to give to us His life.  That’s how much He wanted us to receive; and His giving was born out of His love.  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).  God gave to us with the expectation that we would receive.

However, the devil wants you to believe that God really doesn’t want you to receive.  He wants you to believe that God has a tight hand, and that He’s not as free giving as He says He is.  Or that God only gives based on your efforts and merits.  If you’re good you might get it and if you’re bad you can forget it.  He wants to block you from receiving what God has freely given.  Because if you think that God doesn’t want to give or that you have to work to get it you might not receive it.  Romans 8:32 says, “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”  God crushed His own Son to give to us His life.  That’s how much he wanted us to receive.

So why do you take so little when He has given so much?  Receive ALL because He expects you too.

It’s Good To Give Thanks!

Tags

Appreciate, Bless, blessings, grace, Thanks, Thanksgiving, Turkey

Psalms 92:1-2

“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most high; To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and they faithfulness every night.”

Thanksgiving is a time of giving thanks.  As you gather with your family and friends to give thanks remember it’s all about God.  Don’t focus on the negative things of the past but on the wonderful blessings of God.

Psalm 103:2 says “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” Well, what are those benefits?  The psalmist goes on to say, “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagles” (Ps. 103:3-5).  Wow! When we consider all these blessings we can’t help but give thanks.

When you give thanks for what God has done for you, you are giving thanks for those things that you have yet to see.  Whatever God says is done in the now and He doesn’t alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth (Ps. 89:34).  While you are giving thanks give thanks for those things that are yet seen.   Being thankful releases more grace in your life.  Think about this, when you do something for someone and they show their appreciation by saying thank you, it causes you to want to bless them again.

Therefore, as you give thanks to God for His blessings this season don’t forget to say thank you to those that God has used to be a blessing in your life.  “Oh give thanks unto the Lord for He is good and His mercy endureth forever” (Psalm 107:1).

Time To Party!

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law, Party, praise, righteousness, Thanks, thanksgivng

Esther 9:22

“As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day; that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.”

After God had given Israel victory over their enemies, they threw a party.  God had turned their sorrow into joy their mourning into a good day He had given them a divine turnaround.

Esther 9:19 says “…they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness.” The key word is they rested.  They rested in the victory that was given to them by rejoicing and having a good time.

Jesus has given us the victory over all our enemies, He has given us a divine turnaround.  He has given us beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness that we might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord that He might be glorified (Isa. 61:3). 

Looking back on the things that held you captive will only rob you of your joy.  It was the law that held us captive and whenever we look back to the law for our righteousness it robs us of our joy.  In the days of Nehemiah the people were rejoicing until the law was read then they began to weep and mourn (Neh. 8:9).

Don’t let the enemy stop you from throwing a praise party by reminding you of what you’ve done or haven’t done.  We’re not blessed because of what we’ve done, we’re blessed because of what Jesus has done for us.  So come on let’s party!

More Thanks More Grace

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grace, praise, Thanks, Thanksgiving

Psalms 136:1
“Oh give thanks unto the Lord for He is good for His mercy endureth for ever.”

When we give thanks unto God for His goodness and His mercy.  It releases to us more of His goodness and more of His mercy.

Giving thanks to God in spite of your circumstance says God you are in control of my life.   You are the Creator and Maker of all things and it’s in your power to change my situation.  Thanking God says God you’ve done it before and you can do it again.  And even if my problems didn’t exist, You are good.

Remember the ten lepers it was the one that turned to give thanks that receive more grace  (Luke 17:11-19).  Hear what Jesus said, “And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way; thy faith hath made the whole.”  The other nine were cleansed but the one was made whole.

The fact that the one was a Samaritan says a lot.  He wasn’t so much concern with being cleansed according to the law, his focus was on the one who had given him grace.  When he saw that he was healed he turned back and with a loud voice glorified God and was made whole.