A Thanksgiving God
Psalm 103:1-5
Open:
What a wonderful time of the year. Everybody loves
thanksgiving, a time for families to gather and spend
time with one another. Have a great meal, just like what
we are going to share in today, after church. The sad
thing is though to most Americans that is all
thanksgiving means to them. Just a bunch of relatives
and a bunch of turkey. (or to some a bunch of turkeys
and bunch of turkey).....Sure most could tell you that
thanksgiving has something to do with Pilgrims and
Indians, but that’s about it. Just imagine what those
Pilgrims went through to obtain the freedom to worship
God in the way that they chose. They braved the
unknown, sickness, hostile enviroment, whatever
seemed to stand in their way. Why? So that they could
worship the Lord God almighty, the God of power and
might. And I am sure that when they had made it
through the first winter and had seen God provision of
harvest for their hard work, they had to give him thanks
with praise and joy. Of course we Pentecostals have
picked up on what they started, you can’t truly have
thanksgiving and praise without food. You see these
Pilgrims understood without a shadow of a doubt that
our God is a thanksgiving God. We have so much to be
thankful for. As God’s people we are so incredibly
blessed. And I am not even talking about being thankful
for living in this great country of ours. Our God is a
thanksgiving God no matter where in this world you
live. No matter what your situation, no matter what
financial your financial position. Our God is worthy and
deserves our praise.
One thing I can assure you, those Pilgrims knew and
understood first hand what Psalm 103 is all about.
Psalm 103 is a psalm of thanksgiving to GOd for his
incredible blessings he pours into our lives.
This morning I want to show you five reasons why our
God is a Thanksgiving God
Interesting how this psalm begins: Verse1
David is saying that every aspect of him praises God,
even my inmost being.
How many of you have a time in your life when you
were so overwhelmed with emotions that you couldn’t
help what happened................
This is what I feel David is trying to express to us. That
he is bubbling with thanksgiving, that he he is so full of
joy that it is flowing fom within.
I want to tell you something if you can’t get excited
about what God has done for you than there is
something wrong with your spiritual walk. When was
the last time that you shouted, clapped your hands,
danced, laughed or cried when you thought about all
that God has done for you.
If has been a while it’s time that you take inventory and
let God know how you feel.
Verse 2 reminds us that we need to tell God often about
his deeds in our lives, because we are forgetful people.
And man this is the truth. Things are going along great
and we cruise, if we don’t remind ourselves of what
God is doing, we begin to think we doing it all.
Tell God of goodness daily in your life!
Five reasons God is a thanksgiving God
1. Verse 3
He forgives
Without this first reason there is no other use for any
other promise or blessing in the word of God.
If he can not forgive or will not forgive us then we
might as well pack it in now and get ready for the heat.
Eph. 1:7
This the most important thing that God does for us he
forgives us. Each and everyone of us can receive this
gift from him because he knows each person here today.
2. Verse 3b
He heals us
Ex. 15:26
Where does sickness come from? All sickness is a result
from the wickedness of sin. It is no coincidence that
here in this verse that David first says you forgive and
heal.
3. Verse 4
He redeems us
Redeem: release or freedom on payment of a price.
Deliverance by a costly method.
(He paid a debt he did not owe, I owed a debt I could
not pay)
Psalm 49:7, 15
God and God alone redeems us, no matter what the
world says there is nothing that you and I can do to earn
salvation. He paid the price and bought our freedom, it
is only up to us to accept it.
4. Verse 4b
Crowns you
The picture that I get out of this is one of a King
crowning his heirs.......
5. Verse 5
He satisfies us
Psalm 37:4
God is such a great father that even the desires of our
heart he will grant to us. Those things that we care
about, those things that only he may know about. He
knows our attitudes and thoughts and the position of
our heart. One thing we have to understand about
desires; as we go after him, our desires will be his
desires.
And isn’t it so true that when we see those desires God
places in our hearts fulfilled we become refreshed and
renewed. We feel like we can take on the world. And
actually we can with him at our side.
Close:
You see we don’t even have to talk about all the
wonderful blessings that he gives us, because we live in
the USA, to know that he truly is a thanksgiving God.
Stand to your feet and give him praise this morning
