Give Thanks

Give Thanks!

1 I love you, O LORD, my strength.

2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.

He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

3 I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,

and I am saved from my enemies.

6 In my distress I called to the LORD;

I cried to my God for help.

From his temple he heard my voice;

my cry came before him, into his ears.

16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;

he drew me out of deep waters.

17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,

from my foes, who were too strong for me.

28 You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning;

my God turns my darkness into light.

29 With your help I can advance against a troop ;

with my God I can scale a wall.

30 As for God, his way is perfect;

the word of the LORD is flawless.

He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.

31 For who is God besides the LORD?

And who is the Rock except our God?

32 It is God who arms me with strength

and makes my way perfect.

33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;

he enables me to stand on the heights.

49 …I will praise you among the nations,

O LORD; I will sing praises to your name.

50 He gives his king great victories;

he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed,

to David and his descendants forever.

- Psalm 18

Prayer…

PICTURE – this scene in your mind…

An old man is walking down a Florida beach. The sun is setting like a huge orange ball on the distant horizon. The ocean waves are gently slapping the soft white sand. The smell of salt water stings the air.

The beach is nearly empty. There is no sun to entice the sunbathers. Not enough light for the fisherman. So, aside from a few joggers and strollers, this old guy is alone.

As he walks down the beach, in his bony hand he is carrying a bucket… It’s a bucket of shrimp. But the shrimp is not for him and it’s not for the fish. NO – it’s for the sea gulls.

He carries this bucket to an isolated pier cast in gold by the setting sun. He walks slowly to the end of the pier. It’s Friday night and the time has come for the weekly ritual.

He stands and waits.

And in just a few seconds the sky becomes a mass of dancing dots. The evening silence gives way to the loud sounds of screeching of birds. Seagulls are everywhere. They fill the sky, they cover the pier… You see - they are on a journey to meet the old man.

AND - for almost an hour… this bushy- browed, shoulder-bent old man stands on the pier, surrounded by the birds of the sea, until the bucket of shrimp is completely gone.

AND - even after the food is gone, his feathered friends still linger. They linger as if they’re attracted to more than just food. They land on his hat. They walk on the pier. And they all (the old man and hundreds of seas gulls) share a moment together.

Can you see the scene… OKAY now I want you to file that scene away for awhile…we’ll open it up again at the end of my message….

LAST THURSDAY - we will be celebrated Thanksgiving Day...

YES – those things are good and they are a part of thanksgiving… BUT – they are not the heart of thanksgiving. AND LISTEN – the heart of thanksgiving goes back much further than the Pilgrims in America. YOU SEE - thanksgiving is not just an American holiday… NO – thanksgiving is an occasion that God’s people have been celebrating for 1,000 of years…

CHECKOUT – these verses of Scripture;

Give thanks to the LORD , for he is good; his love endures forever…

- 1 Chron 16:34

We thank you, O God! We give thanks because you are near. - Ps 75:1

The title for my message this morning… is simply “Give Thanks!” AND – all I want to do is to answer 2 basic;

• #1; Why should we give thanks to God?

• #2; How do we give thanks to God?

Our text will be David's song of praise found in Psalm 18 that we read earlier…

Why Should You Be Thankful To God?

NOW – if you have spent anytime in the Old Testament you know that David had a lot of enemies.... He spent many years in hiding.... AND - one of his greatest enemies was King Saul. David wrote Psalm 18, after God had delivered him from his enemies, especially from the hands of Saul. This Psalm is repeated word for word in 2 Samuel 22.