Thanking God, Again

We are to be thankful.

Scripture provides us with excellent examples.

Before Jesus fed the five thousand He gave thanks.

Matthew 14:19 (NET) - Then He instructed the crowds to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He gave thanks and broke the loaves. He gave them to His disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.

At the Last Supper, Jesus gives thanks twice.

Matthew 26:26-28 (NET) - While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after giving thanks, He broke it, gave it to His disciples, and said, "Take, eat, this is my body." And after, taking the cup and giving thanks, He gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood, the blood of the covenant poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."

In the book of John, Jesus gives thanks to the Father before raising Lazarus from the dead.

John 11:41-42 (NET) - So they took away the stone. Jesus looked upward and said, "Father, I thank You that You have listened to Me. I knew that You always listen to Me, but I said this for the sake of the crowd standing around here, that they may believe that You sent Me."

Paul’s letters also provide many examples of why we should be grateful.

1 Corinthians 15:57 (NET) - But thanks be to God who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

His letters are also replete with gratitude for those to whom he wrote.

Ephesians 1:6 (NET) - I do not cease to give thanks for you when I remember you in my prayers.

So, Biblically speaking, we are to be thankful.

To be thankful for some things come very naturally.

Giving thanks to God before a meal is one thing that comes very naturally.

Sometimes we require a reminder to give thanks.

When the weather turns harsh, we find it easier to remember to give thanks for shelter.

Our safety is another thing for which we often forget to express gratitude.

How much easier it becomes to remember when we narrowly escape that accident on the road.

We are also to be thankful for difficult circumstances and difficult people in our lives.

God places them there in order to help us grow spiritually.

I would venture we almost never give thanks for these.

Finally, there are those things for which we almost never give thanks.

Those blessings from God of which we are completely oblivious.

Matthew 6:8 (NET) - Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

God knows what we need even before we recognize the need ourselves.

That means many of our needs are filled without our knowledge.

Why not take time to thank God for all that He has done for you,

Give Him thanks for His blessings, even those you did not see,

Give Him thanks for circumstances and people that challenge you.

Give Him thanks for keeping you safe and sound.

Above all, give Him thanks for His most precious blessing of all.

Give Him thanks for His one and only Son.


Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, February 24, 2012.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, March 2, 2012.
Schedule subject to change.