Five Keys To Giving Thanks
What Do You Think of When You Think of Thanksgiving?
Eating, Football, Long Weekend, Shopping, History, or Family? Thanksgiving is much more than any of this. True thanksgiving is not just a day for food, football, and family. It’s not just a holiday every fourth Thursday in November. For God’s people, everyday ought to be Thanksgiving Day!
Thanksgiving Day is a distinctive holiday. It doesn’t commemorate a battle or anyone’s birthday. It is simply a day set aside to express our thanks to God. Did you know that in 1789, George Washington made a public proclamation saying that, “it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor?” He recommended and assigned Thursday, the 26th day of November 1789 to be a day of Thanksgiving.
Of course most of know the story of the pilgrims and how they and the Indians of the area had a Thanksgiving feast in 1621 – long before Washington’s proclamation.
Even earlier than 1621 – we find people offering up thanks to God. In the Old Testament we find a Song of Thanksgiving. It is Psalm 100. It is subtitled “A Psalm of Thanksgiving”. It is an invitation to join together to acknowledge the great things that God has done. Not only does Psalm 100 call us to praise the Lord with thankfulness – but it also describes to us the nature of thanksgiving. Let’s read Psalm 100 together:
“A Psalm of Thanksgiving. Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.” Psalms 100:1-5 (NKJV)
In this Psalm I find five key words that describe the essence of thanksgiving. The first word is:
1. JOY
“Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!” Psalm 100:1 (NKJV)
We don’t have problems shouting at a football game, but we very seldom raise our voice in church. I remember a few years ago when some of you got shook up here in church. I was preaching along and the Spirit of God was extremely powerful that day. One gentleman was so moved that morning that he let out a shout. He just yelled out in the middle of the service. It shook some of you up. Good! Our lives are meant to be a joyful call to God. God wants us to get excited about who He is.
Just this past week I saw the film clip of the victory celebration in New York City when World War II ended. Folks, that celebration was a shout of praise. The war was over – the victory had been won. We need to shout praises to God – I have read the end of the Book – I know who wins the war – I know who has victory – Praise be to God on high! I need to shout joyfully because God has won the victory. We need to be filled with joy and shout about it.
The second word is:
2. GLADNESS
“Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.” Psalms 100:2 (NKJV)
Folks let me tell you this – there is a huge difference between gladness and sadness.
When we come before the Lord – we are to do it with gladness not sadness.
There are times when people come to church on Sunday morning worship almost like they are coming to a funeral service. I’ll tell you the truth – we need to come in here on Sunday morning like we are coming into a resurrection service. My Lord has risen from the dead. I need to celebrate that fact. Because you see:
I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today;
I know that He is living, whatever men may say;
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer,
And just the time I need Him, He’s always near.
He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me, along life’s narrow way.
He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives: He lives within my heart.*
Folks, when we come before the Lord – we ought to do it with gladness.
The third word is:
3. DEPENDENCE
“Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” Psalm 100:3 (NKJV)
This verse shows three roles of God:
a. God is LORD
We are to make Him ruler, master, boss of our lives.
God is God and we are NOT.
God told Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM’” Exodus 3:14 (NAS) Folks, you have no more control over God then you do the weather. God is God and we are not.
b. God is CREATOR
If you create something, you are greater than what you have created. You have every right over that which you have made.
“It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves” Psalm 100:3b (NKJV)
c. God is SHEPHERD
“We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” Psalm 100:3c (NKJV)
God guides us to the place of security, plenty and rest.
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul.” Psalm 23:1-3 (NKJV)
Someone has rightly said,
If we are created, He is the Creator.
If we are sheep, He is our Shepherd.
If we enter His courts, He is our King.
If we serve Him, He is our Master.
I am dependent on God. He created even the air that I breath. He knows every hair on my head. He knows every beat of my heart. I thank HIM for being God - I am dependent on Him.
The fourth word – of course – is:
4. THANKFULNESS
You can’t give thanks unless you are thankful.
“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.” Psalm 100:4 (NKJV)
Thanksgiving is what flows out of a thankful HEART.
In Luke chapter seventeen there is a very interesting story. Jesus enters a village and upon entering He finds ten men who were lepers. They stood a long way off and yelled out to Jesus, "Jesus, have mercy on us!" When Jesus saw them, He said to them, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." Did you know that they had not been cleansed yet? They left before they were cured – because the Bible says, “that as they went along, they were cleansed.” Do you know what happened then? One of them – only one of them – when he saw that he was healed, turned around and went back to see Jesus. The Bible says he fell down on his face at the feet of Jesus, glorified God and thanked Jesus for what He had done. Only one out of ten THANKED Jesus. Do you remember what Jesus asked him? "Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?”
Folks we need to be thankful to God for what He has done for us.
That brings us to the fifth word is:
5. GRATITUDE
“For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. Psalm 100:5 (NKJV)
Three reasons to be grateful:
a. The Lord is GOOD
b. The Lord’s mercy is EVERLASTING
c. The Lord’s truth endures FOREVER
In Romans chapter eleven Paul is giving thanks and praise to God when he writes:
“Everything comes from him; Everything happens through him; Everything ends up in him. Always glory! Always praise! Yes. Yes. Yes.” Romans 11:36 (MSG)
Our praise, our thanksgiving and our worship needs to directed to God. We need to be thankful for what He has done.
I want you to notice something about Psalm 100 – in its short five verses – look at how many times God mentioned or referred to. Lets read it again:
“Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.” Psalms 100:1-5 (NKJV)
This Thanksgiving – with all the preparations, events and excitement – my prayer – is that God is thanked – with joy and gladness – with thankfulness and gratitude – and with a heart dependent on Him.
*Words by Alfred H. Ackley.
