Thanksgiving and Thanks Living, part 1

As we draw nearer to Thanksgiving this week, we are going to look at “Being Thankful.”

I believe Scripture supports and really proves the fact that God expects us to thank Him for His blessings in our lives. This is evidenced in the words of Jesus to the, one, lone, ex-leper who returned to thank Him: “And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. 17 And Jesus answering said, “Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?” Luke 17:15-17
 

God not only deserves our thanks, but I believe He also desires it. He wants us to be grateful for His goodness, grace and mercy rather than just taking it all for granted. How many of you took time out this past week just to re-count your blessings and thank God for everything He’s done for you?
 

As we prepare to have Thanksgiving, let's understand that God doesn’t want our thanksgiving to be limited to one Thursday in November. God wants us to continue to thank Him. He wants us to live a life of thankfulness. Let’s look back at what Paul has to say about it all in our text for this week, 1 Thessalonians 5:18: “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
 

Going on to verses 19 and 20, he says, “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…”
 

In Philippians 4:4, we read, “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.”
 

Paul made it clear that our giving of thanks is to be continual, and not dependent on our situation. It is to be ongoing in spite of our circumstances, not just when everything is going well.

Continued tomorrow