Thanksgiving From The Bible Pt. 7 Giving Thanks To Jehovah Is Good For Us

We are studying about true thanksgiving from God's perspective. Last year, I posted eight very detailed lessons on Thanksgiving from the Pilgrims perspective. 

I believe that these can be used for good family devotions and to teach our children and grandchildren why this national holyday is important. 

You may find these in the Archive section under November 16 to November 24, 2021.

Giving thanks is a good thing for believers. 

Psalm 92:1  A Psalm or Song for the sabbath day. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: 

This Psalm was one that was sung on the sabbath day. It's theme is that God should be praised for His righteous judgments on the wicked and that believers give thanks for His care and defense.

Giving thanks to Jehovah is a good thing, an excellent activity for each believer to partake in. 

Giving thanks to Jehovah is good for our happiness, good for our spiritual well being and good for anchoring our moral choices to His Word. 

Giving thanks to Jehovah is a good thing because it fills our inner man with the bountiful riches of who our God is and what He is doing for us. 

Giving thanks to Jehovah is a good thing because it prepares us for worship and praising Him aright. 

Giving thanks for Jehovah's lovingkindness and faithfulness. 

Psalm 92:2,3  To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night, 3)  Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound. 

The Hebrew word translated "to show forth" means to make something very conspicuous and to publish it widely. 

Giving thanks includes confessing with our mouths the lovingkindness and faithfulness of Jehovah.

What is lovingkindness? It is a word that encompasses the grace of God toward man (Noah found grace in the sight of the Lord). 

Lovingkindness encompasses His infinite mercy, forgiveness and pardon for sin when we come to Him through repentant faith in Jesus Christ. 

Lovingkindness encompasses that vast, unconditional love of God whereby the Son of God hung on a cross in our place, as God's perfect Lamb, bringing salvation to all who will believe (John 3:16-18). 

Give thanks in the morning for Jehovah's lovingkindness. 

Psalm 103:1-5  A Psalm of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2)  Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3)  Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 4)  Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; 5)  Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. 

Each morning when we awaken, we ought to give thanks for Jehovah's lovingkindness. He is our Father who takes pity on us because He knows we are mere dust. 

Psalm 103 provides examples of God's lovingkindness and each morning we can praise and give thanks to Him for it. 

Bless Jehovah, the Psalmist cries. Bless Him for His rich benefits of salvation. Bless Him for forgiving us our sins and for healing us when we are sick. Bless Him for His powerful redemption. Bless Him because He supplies our needs.

Bless Jehovah because He crowns each believer with His lovingkindness and tender mercies. The Psalmist goes on to describe Jehovah's lovingkindness in Psalm 103:8-14. 

Thus, our day should begin by giving thanks to Jehovah for His lovingkindness.

Give thanks at night for Jehovah's faithfulness. 

Lamentations 3:22-24  It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23)  They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. 24)  The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. 

However, we also are reminded to give thanks to Jehovah for His faithfulness each night before we go to bed. Jehovah keeps His promises. He never abandons a believer in Christ. He always does that which He says He will do. 

As each day draws to a close, we can think back to how faithful Jehovah was to us throughout the day, giving us abilities and skills, to provide for our families, protecting us from evil doers and disasters. 

We can give thanks before we go to bed because Jehovah extended His abundant mercy to us when we needed it and He demonstrated compassion to us because we are weak. 

His word is true, His promises are sure and His care of us is certain, all because He is faithful to the sheep of His pasture.

Give thanks to Jehovah for all His works to us.

Psalm 92:4  For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands. 

We are gladdened when we contemplate the works of Jehovah to rescue us from sin, to bring us into a right relationship with God and to grant us eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.

Jehovah is the unique name of God most connected to redeeming us from the bondage of sin. He alone through the Lord Jesus Christ, can deliver us from the Devil's clutches and place us safely into the kingdom of God.

Give thanks to Jehovah for His mighty victory at the cross. 

Colossians 2:13-15  And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14)  Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15)  And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 

We have victory over sin, death, hell, the grave and Satan because of Jehovah's mighty works. We share in His triumph when we exercise repentant faith in Christ.

Each believer in Jesus Christ is changed from being spiritually dead in sins to being made alive in Christ. We receive spiritual life and our old way of life passes away as we learn how to walk in newness of life with Christ. 

Jesus, whose name means Jehovah Savior, took all our sins and nailed them to His cross and permanently removed them. Then, at His glorious resurrection He put it on public display and the Devil knew he was a defeated enemy.  

Give thanks to Jehovah for the glory of His ways.

Psalm 92:5  O LORD, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep. 

Isaiah 55:8,9  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9)  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 

Now we see that God's thoughts are so much higher than man's and His ways are exalted far above our feeble ways. 

The ways of God are deep and cannot be found out. Only the Spirit of God can search them out. Yet, He will show these deep things to all who are in Christ (1 Corinthians 2:9-14).

We give thanks because His works are greater than any other works and His thoughts deeper that any musings of men.

Thoughts to Ponder...

We learned about giving thanks to Jehovah because this is very good for us and has a positive impact upon our worship.

We learned that it is good for us to give thanks to Jehovah each morning for His lovingkindness and another day to love and serve Him.

We learned that it is good for us to give thanks to Jehovah each evening for His faithfulness in helping us do what we need to do, and providing for our needs.

We learned to give thanks to Jehovah for all of His mighty works for us, especially for His victory at the cross of Christ.

It is good indeed, for us to give thanks to Jehovah for all of these reasons. May the Spirit of God help us to offer our thanks and to live as His faithful servants, doing all things for His glory.

Bob