With the help of an outline by David DeWitt but my illustrations.
DO WE GIVE THANKS BECAUSE GOD LOVES US? 1 CH 16:34
Snoopy is outside, lying on top of his doghouse, smells that aroma, & he is thinking, “It’s Thanksgiving Day. Everybody eats turkey on Thanksgiving Day.” So he lies there, watching the back door, eagerly awaiting his Thanksgiving dinner. Finally, the door opens & here comes Charlie Brown with a bowl of dog food, & he puts it on the ground. Snoopy gets off his house & stares at the dog food with a forlorn look on his face. And he thinks, “Just because I’m a dog, I have to eat dog food on Thanksgiving Day.” Then the next square shows him looking at the dog food more intently, & he is thinking, “It could be worse. I could be the turkey.”
Most of us take a great deal in life for granted. Most of us complain more than we thank. Most of us are more often displeased with something than grateful. Most of us live out of our abundance and not our need. Most of us are far less thankful than we should be. There are 138 passages of scripture that deal with the subject of being thankful. God places a high emphasis on being thankful and so should the church.
A Sunday School teacher asked her class if they knew the difference between kindness and loving-kindness. One little girl said she knew the difference. She told the teacher that kindness is like when you ask your mother for some toast and she gives it to you, but loving-kindness is when you ask your mother for some toast and she gives it to you with butter and jam on it. And that’s the way God is. God, in his loving kindness, is an exceedingly generous giver. He doesn’t just give you some blessings, but He gives some ’blessings’ with some butter and jam on it. It was Thanksgiving season in the nursing home. The small resident population was gathered about their humble Thanksgiving table, and the director asked each in turn to express one thing for which they were thankful. One little old lady in her turn said, ’I thank the Lord for two perfectly good teeth, one in my upper jaw and one in my lower jaw that match so that I can chew my food.’
We see this statement in O. T. over and over, “Give thanks to the LORD for He is good and His love endures forever.” It appears 45 separate times. So do you spend your time giving thanks?
We see a pattern in this: Give thanks-- Give thanks to the LORD-- Give thanks for God’s Goodness - God is good in His care. - Give thanks for God’s love.
1. WE ARE TO GIVE THANKS.
The word we translate as thanks in English means much more in Hebrew. The word means, "To make public acknowledgment." This is the same word that we get our English word confess. This comes in two manners: we are to confess the name of God, publicly proclaiming His name and confessing our sins.
Giving thanks is an act of showing thankfulness toward God for His abundant blessings. When we confess the name of God, we are telling of all that He has done for us. When we confess our sins to God we are telling of all we have done against Him. Both take tremendous courage and humility.
Do not think of what you do not have; Instead, appreciate what you have and can still have? Do not think of things lost; Instead, value what you still have and may yet find. Do not cry over spilled milk; Instead, rejoice in what was left. Do not think of what you are not; Instead, be humble with what you are and can still become. Do not think of what others say you are; Instead, concern yourself with what you affirm to be. Do not think of the hours and days past; Instead, look eagerly to times that are yet to come. Do not think of what you failed to do; Instead, think of those that you were able to do and can still best do. Do not think of mistakes committed; Instead, count the things you did right. Do not think much of the pain you have caused; Instead, plan for ways to make amends. Do not think of the sufferings you now bear; Instead, look to the comfort when relief draws near. Do not consume yourself with thoughts of what could have been; Instead, marvel at what has become and will become. Do not be anxious to attain greater happiness; Instead, content yourself with the little things which bring you bliss. Do not aspire to fill your cup at once; Instead, have the patience to do it little by little. And if by chance you fail, do not fret over the empty part on top; Instead, celebrate the space filled up. Do not condemn nature when it is at its worst; Instead, think of the times when it was at its best. Do not blame luck for things you miss; Instead, learn from things in which you have been remiss. Nor should you curse luck or others for life’s misfortunes; Instead, accept them as part of life. I say then, Live fully, die a little, Learn much but question less. Have just enough but give much more, Be contented each time to crave much less. Doubt less and affirm a lot, Understand more, and be understood less. Worry a little but hope you must, Accept all, resist the least. For all things happen, In due time they must. By P. E. Calleja
2. WE ARE TO GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD.
It is not enough to be thankful; we need to be thankful to the right person. We offer our thanks to the LORD. The Old Testament is clear that the only one who is worthy of our praise and thanksgiving is the LORD. The LORD is the one who made all things. The LORD is the one who made humanity in His image. The LORD who declared His name to Moses at the burning bush. This is the same God who called Abram to leave his home for the Promised Land. This is the same God who led the Israelites across dry land. This is the same God who told Noah to build the Ark. This is the same God who sent Jesus to be our savior.
Why do we need to thank God? We thank God for His power, We thank God for His person, We thank God for His provision, We thank God for His protection, We thank God for His presence and We thank God for His pardon.
A SURVIVAL KIT FOR EVERY DAY LIVING: Items Needed: Toothpick Rubber Band Band Aid Pencil Eraser Chewing Gum Mint Candy Kiss Tea Bag Why you say. A TOOTHPICK is to remind you to pick out the good qualities in others. A RUBBER BAND is to remind you to be flexible, things might not always go the way you want, but it will work out. A BAND AID is to remind you to heal hurt feelings, yours or someone else’s. A PENCIL is to remind you to list your blessings everyday. An ERASER is to remind you that everyone makes mistakes, and it’s OK. GUM is to remind you to stick with it and you can accomplish anything with Jesus. A MINT is to remind you that you are worth a mint to your Heavenly Father. A CANDY KISS is to remind you that everyone needs a kiss or a hug everyday. A TEA BAG is to remind you to relax daily and go over that list of God’s blessings.
3. WE NEED TO GIVE THANKS BECAUSE HE IS GOOD
We often use the word good to describe something as being of fair worth or describing things that we aren’t sure we care about. For example, if I tell someone that they did a good job; it doesn’t seem to carry the same weight if I said they did a great job. If I tell Joan that she fixed a good meal, it doesn’t mean as much as saying she made a fantastic meal.
When we say that God is good does it seem to be good enough? There is good reason that we are confused about good. There were 58 possible meanings of the word good. The Bible is primarily concerned with the moral side of goodness. When the Old Testament writers use the word good they were referring to a high standard of moral quality. In essence, goodness can be summed up to equate with our understanding that God is holy. GOD IS GOOD IN HIS CHARACTER. Good first describes the very character of God. The truth is that God is good as part of who He is. God cannot be anything but good. God is the standard of goodness. GOD IS GOOD IN HIS CONDUCT. Because God is good, all that He does must also be good.
THE 7 WONDERS OF THE WORLD: A group of students was asked to list what they thought were the present Seven Wonders of the World. Though there was some disagreement, the following got the most votes: 1. Egypt’s Great Pyramids. 2. Taj Mahal. 3. Grand Canyon. 4. Panama Canal. 5. The Empire State Building. 6. St. Peter’s Basilica. 7. China’s Great Wall. While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one quiet student hadn’t turned in her paper yet, so she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The girl replied, "Yes, a little. I couldn’t quite make up my mind because there were so many." The teacher said, "Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help." The girl hesitated, then read, "I think the Seven Wonders of the World are: 1. TO SEE. 2. TO TASTE. 3. TO TOUCH. 4. TO HEAR." She hesitated a little, and then added, "5. TO FEEL. 6. TO LAUGH. 7. AND TO LOVE." The room was so full of silence you could have heard a pin drop. Those things we overlook as simple and ordinary are truly wondrous. This is a gentle reminder that the most precious things in life cannot be bought, but are gifts from above.
4. WE NEED TO GIVE THANKS BECAUSE GOD IS GOOD IN HIS CARE.
The fact that God cares for us is amazing. He cares for us so much that he cannot leave us as we were when He found us. The desire of God is to make us like His Son, Jesus.
We cannot make ourselves good, but God’s grace can change our hearts, causing goodness to grow in us. We can’t but He can. God desires for us to be good, because He is good and wants us to be like Him.
Only in America do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front. Only in America do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries, and a diet coke. Only in America do banks leave vault doors open and then chain the pens to the counters. Only in America, do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk in the garage. Only in America do we buy hot dogs in packages of ten and buns in packages of eight. Only in America do they have drive-up ATM machines with Braille lettering. EVER WONDER? Why the sun lightens our hair, but darkens our skin? Why can’t women put on mascara with their mouth closed? Why don’t you ever see the headline ’Psychic Wins Lottery’? Why is ’abbreviated’ such a long word? Why is it that doctors call what they do ’practice’? Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavor, and dishwashing liquid made with real lemons? Why the man who invests all your money is called a broker? Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour? Why isn’t there mouse-flavored cat food? Why do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections? You know that indestructible black box that is used on airplanes. Why don’t they make the whole plane out of that stuff? Why don’t sheep shrink when it rains? Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together? If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress? If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal? It’s your turn to spread this to someone you want to bring a smile to.
5. WE ARE TO GIVE THANKS BECAUSE HE LOVES US.
The Old Testament affirms the fact that God’s love endures forever. There will never be a time in your life when God does not love you. The Hebrew word for love here is used to describe the covenant relationship between God and His people. Through out the Old Testament the covenants were the basis of the divine human relationship. God revealed His love for us through these covenants. The ultimate example of this love was in the new covenant established through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. God loves us to the ultimate extreme. Not only does God love us that much but He also loves us with a love that continues through all time. This means that God’s love never weakens or stops working. His love endures through all things for all time. Think about that for a moment. There never has been and never will be a time when God does not love you. God’s love endures the times that we have rejected Him. God’s love endures the times that we have rebelled against Him. God’s love endures the cost of our redemption. Thank God that he loves us even when we don’t love him. Thank God that He loves us even when we don’t love ourselves. He loves us even when we think that we are unlovable. God’s love endures through all time for all time.
GOD KNOWS: Kelly D. Caron. When you are tired and discouraged from fruitless efforts, God knows how hard you have tried. When you’ve cried so long and your heart is in anguish, God has counted your tears. If you feel that, your life is on hold and time has passed you by, God is waiting with you. When you’re lonely and your friends are too busy even for a phone call, God is by your side. When you think you’ve tried everything and don’t know where to turn, God has a solution. When nothing makes sense and you are confused or frustrated, God has the answer. If suddenly, your outlook is brighter and you find traces of hope, God has whispered to you. When things are going well and you have much to be thankful for, God has blessed you. When something joyful happens and you are filled with awe, God has smiled upon you. When you have a purpose to fulfill and a dream to follow, God has opened your eyes and called you by name. Remember that wherever you are or whatever you are facing, God knows!
The concept of giving thanks to God did not originate with the pilgrims. The concept is well documented in the Old Testament. Thanksgiving is closely associated with one of the Hebrew feasts celebrated every year following the harvest. The feast of Sukkoth was celebrated at the completion of the harvest and the deliverance of God through the wilderness. Normally this falls five days after Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. A Sukkoth is small hut that was built to remind the people of their days in the tabernacle. This feast is more commonly know as the Feast of Tabernacles. The purpose was to thank God for His grace and goodness.
Only One Answer: I AM. For every cry, there is one answer: I need help. I AM. I need hope. I AM. Who could possibly be smart enough to figure this out? I AM. What works? I AM. What lasts? I AM. What’s the latest thing? I AM. What’s the hippest thing? I AM. I need a fresh start. I AM. I need a bigger story. I AM. My vision is bigger than my resources. I AM. Nothing’s real anymore. I AM. Who can I trust? I AM. I’m not sure who’s on my team. I AM. Nobody’s listening to me. I AM. I don’t have a prayer. I AM. My marriage is sinking and I don’t know where to turn. I AM. I can’t hold on. I AM. My kids deserve more. I AM. I’m pouring into others; who’s pouring into me? I AM. If we fail, who will get the job done? I AM. I’m not sure why I’m here. I AM. I’ve given all I can give and it’s not enough. I AM. I’m tired. I AM. I quit! I AM. I can’t. I AM. I need a drink. I AM. I need a fix. I AM. I need a lover. I AM. And what does this great I AM say of Himself? He says to you and to me: “I am the way, I am the truth, and I am the life. I am the resurrection and the life. I am Savior. I am Jesus, the solution, the restorer, the builder, the answer, the Wise One, the Coming One, the Mighty One. I am the Lord and there is no other. I am God and there is none besides Me. I am the First and the Last. I am Alpha and Omega. I am the Beginning and the End. I am the Lord, that is My name, and I will not give My glory to another, or any of My praise to idols. I AM THAT I AM, and that is My name. My name to celebrate in every single generation.”
