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As we celebrated Thanksgiving last Thursday, I began to
wonder what the Bible says about "thanksgiving." I generally
remembered what the Bible said, but I was curious about
the specifics. So I did a little research, while Beth fixed
Thanksgiving dinner.
Good Deeds Produce Thanksgiving
Jesus died upon the cross to purify for Himself, a group
of people zealous for good deeds (Tit. 2:14). As Jesus'
people, we work diligently in our Lord's kingdom, to do
the good works God prepared beforehand (Eph. 2:10).
As we do the Lord's work, we affect the lives of others.
The result is thanksgiving, directed toward God.
- People in the world see our good works and glorify God
(Matt. 5:16).
- Good deeds directed toward our brethren produce thanksgiving
to God (2 Cor. 9:11).
As we go through our day-to-day walk, letting our light
shine as God's children and doing the good deeds He has
ordained, it causes others to glorify God and give thanks.
Thanksgiving in Prayer
When we pray, expressing our concerns to God, we should
take time to express our thankfulness.
- We tell God our problems, making our requests known
to Him with thanksgiving (Phil. 4:6).
- We are devoted to prayer, staying alert in it with an
attitude of thanksgiving (Col. 4:2).
- We rejoice, praying without ceasing, giving thanks
to God (1 Th. 5:16-18).
A thankful life is a prayerful life. A life void of prayer
is an unthankful life.
Thanksgiving in Heaven
We don't know a lot about heaven, often making us wonder
what it will be like. One thing occurring in heaven is thanksgiving.
- The angels in heaven give thanks to God (Rev. 11:17).
- When we get to heaven, we will give thanks to God for
salvation, as those who were washed in the blood of the
Lamb (Rev. 7:1-15).
If we're not thankful in our prayers upon the earth, it's
doubtful we'll live in heaven, where we'll be busy offering
thanks to God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Every Day is Thanksgiving, for Christians
As we experience God's goodness in our lives, and offer
thanks to Him, we could say that every day is a day of thanksgiving.
We don't feast upon turkey every day, in observance of a
secular holiday, but we offer our thanks to God in prayer,
reflecting our thankfulness in everything we say and do.
- The result of our thankful lives, doing the good works
God has ordained, is that it produces thanksgiving to
God.
- The effect of things we do upon the earth is far reaching,
even reaching the throne of God.
Whatever you do in the bustle of day-to-day life, remember
to give thanks. And live in such a way that others, who
watch you and experience God's goodness from your hands,
can't help but pause and offer up a prayer to express their
thanks. In these ways, God will be glorified, and receive
the thanks He deserves.
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