How Can I Say Thanks?

How Can I Say Thanks? 2 Corinthians 9:15

Psalm 107:8 says, “Oh that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!" How can we say thanks to God who has so greatly blessed our lives? Let me give you five ways to express your thanks to God.

I. Say thanks to God with your Singing

A. "Some men sing tenor, some bass, and others baritone. I just happen to sing monotone." Kent Crockett, I Once Was Blind But Now I Squint, Chattanooga , TN : AMG Publishers, 2004, 1-2).

B. "Some people are 'Prison Singers'--behind a few bars and always looking for the right key." --Dr. David Jeremiah

C. Although you may not be able to sing like a canary we are encouraged to give thanks to God through singing His praise.

D. Psalm 28:7 “The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, and with my song I shall thank Him.”

E. Psalm 92:1-3 “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 loving-kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night, upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound.”

F. In the year 1742, John Wesley gave these five rules on singing in church.

1. Sing all. See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can. Let not a slight degree of weakness or weariness hinder you. If it is a cross to you, take it up and you will find a blessing.

2. Sing lustily and with a good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength.

3. Sing modestly. Do not bawl so as to be heard above or distinct from the rest of the congregation; but strive to unite your voices together so as to make one clear, melodious sound.

4. Sing in time. Whatever time is sung, be sure to keep with it. Do not run before nor stay behind it.

5. Above all, sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. In order to do this, attend strictly to the sense of what you sing and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound but offered to God continually - Moody Monthly.

G. Psalm 69:30 “I will praise the name of God with song, and shall magnify Him with thanksgiving”

II. Say thanks to God with your Praying

A. 1 Chronicles 16:34 “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; His love endures forever.”

B. 1 Chronicles 29:13 “Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise Thy glorious name.”

C. There were Ten Lepers that were healed by Jesus and only one came back to say Thank you.

D. Luke 17:15-17 “And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, ‘Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?’”

E. Gratitude is so often lacking today. Is this story a reflection of the Body of Christ? Nine going their way, going to church, reading their Bible, but never stopping to say “thank you”?

F. Philippians 4:6-7 “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

G. Ingratitude denotes spiritual immaturity. Infants do not always appreciate what parents do for them. They have short memories. Their concern is not what you did for me yesterday, but what are you doing for me today. The past is meaningless and so is the future. They live for the present. Those who are mature are deeply appreciative of those who labored in the past. They recognize those who labor during the present and provide for those who will be laboring in the future. - Homemade, Dec., 1984.

III. Say thanks to God with your Giving

A. God should be the focus for our giving. Our God is generous and when we give to God, we are only returning a portion to him, to say ‘thank you’ for all that He has given us. We are to give cheerfully.

B. In commenting on Hebrews 7:2 where we are told that Abraham paid tithes to Melchisedec, Barnes comments “As a tribute of gratitude to him, and as a thank-offering to God, Abraham gave him a tenth part of the spoils which he had taken.” - Barnes, Albert. "Commentary on Hebrews 7"