Give Thanks
Author: Amy Zullo
November 23, 2022
The Bible has
much to say about giving thanks. Psalm
107 is a good example. The first verse
tells us to “give thanks to the Lord, for he is
good; his love endures forever. Verses 2 and 3 encourage us
to tell our story of being redeemed by God. The following verses give examples of “some” who are in difficult
circumstances but when they cry out to the Lord, he delivers them. Each example ends with the refrain, “let them
give thanks to the Lord for his
unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.” I am thankful for God’s love, which never
fails.
Jesus provides an
example of giving thanks in the stories of the feeding of the five thousand. Matthew 14:19-21 it says, “Taking the five
loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the
loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the
people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve
basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate
was about five thousand men, besides women and children.” When I give thanks to
God for what he has provided, it leads me to be more compassionate and generous
with others.
Paul begins most
of his letters with a prayer of thanksgiving for the church in that city. For example, Ephesians 1:15-16 says, “For
this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and
your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for
you, remembering you in my prayers.” I am thankful for the love that’s God’s people
have shown to me, especially those of my MPC family. I remember you in my prayers.
The Bible urges
us to be thankful in all circumstances. In Philippians 4:6-7, Paul tells us to “not be anxious about
anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which
transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in
Christ Jesus. As someone who frequently
can feel overwhelmed and anxious about life circumstances, these verses are a
good reminder to have gratitude and to pray in every situation.
Near the end of the Bible, in Revelation
11:16-17, it says, “And the
twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on
their faces and worshiped God, saying: “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who
is and who was, because you have taken your great
power and have begun to reign. As we
were reminded this week on the “Reign of Christ Sunday”, Christ’s reign has already
begun; the kingdom of God is “already but not yet.”
BACK