Evergreen Valley Church Logo
Pastor Tim's Blog

Thursday, November 08, 2012

 

Give direction to your thanks

 
“It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to the Most High. It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening.” Psalm 92: 1-2 (NAS)

 I’m noticing a lot of people practicing thanksgiving this month. I think that is great! People are being thankful for family, friends, jobs, health, and on and on. Being thankful is a very good thing if the direction of our thanks is correctly recognized.
The psalmist makes it clear that it is good to give thanks to the Lord.  All of our thankfulness should be directed to Him because He is the giver of all these good gifts.  It is good for us when we thank him.  Thanks to God actually is healthy.  It brings health to my mind, to my soul and to my body. 
Why is thanksgiving to God healthy?  Let me give you a couple of reasons. I’m sure there are many others.

1) Because thanksgiving magnifies God.
“I will praise the name of God with song and magnify Him with thanksgiving.  And it will please the LORD better than an ox or a young bull with horns and hoofs. The humble have seen it and are glad; you, who seek God, let your heart revive.”   Psalm 69:30-32
Thanksgiving to God makes God bigger and when God is bigger; I am better.  There are two ways to understand magnification – microscope or telescope.  Microscope magnification is taking something small and making it bigger.  Telescope magnification is taking something big and bringing it near.  I believe thanksgiving to God magnifies God like a telescope.  It brings God closer to my life, closer to my world and when God is near I am blessed!

2) Because thanksgiving to God transforms my life.

Thankfulness will readjust my focus of things. When I’m complaining, I am focusing on all the things I don’t have; and want.  When I am thankful, I’m focusing on what God has given me and I become satisfied.  Thanksgiving will get my mind off me and get my mind on God.  Isn’t that where my mind should be?  “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; his love endures forever.”  Psalm 118:1
 
Thanksgiving will refine my perception of God’s grace. When I am grateful to God, I understand more deeply that I don’t deserve what God has done for me.  It interesting that the Greek word for thanksgiving is “eucharistia”.  Our English word Eucharist comes from that word.  When we celebrate communion we are literally celebrating “out of God’s grace.”  “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might be rich.”  2 Corinthians 8:9

Thanksgiving will reinforce my faith.  Thanksgiving will put steel into my faith as I recall the blessings of God. When I remember what God has done for me in the past, it inspires me to realize the God will take care of my present and future needs.  Psalm 136 puts this truth into practice.  The entire Psalm is thanksgiving to God as the people recall how miraculously God delivered them.

As you are giving thanks this month, make sure to direct it to God.  It will do you good.  It will make you healthier as it transforms your life.  Most important, it will make God bigger and that’s always a good thing.

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever.  Psalm 136:1

 

# posted by Pastor Tim @ 9:53 AM
Comments:

Post a Comment





<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?