It is Good to Give Thanks to God - Part 1

Welcome to the intensified Catholic child. November 24 in the next and I think it can be hard to find even one thing relates to today, you'll hear how to cultivate and maintain an attitude of gratitude. The Bible says it is good to give thanks to the Lord Nelson's God is absolutely omniscient, knows all things absolute perfect in every area. If he says that it's good that it must be good.

And so if it's good to give thanks to the Lord. From his perspective. That ought to be a vital part of your life and mine.

I think most of us would have to agree that when we pray we are probably more self-centered than we realize that we are more interested in what he's going to do for Roz Bolden.

We are giving thanks for what is already done.

And so when you think about giving thanks to God. How you give thanks to God when you think about why you should give thanks to God and what I want to talk about in this message I want to answer those questions and I want to simply say that the title of this message is it is good to give thanks to God and I want you to turn if you will the 92nd Psalm, and I want us to read these first five verses of this 92nd Psalm it was a major, major part of the thinking process of the people of Israel when they were coming out of Egyptian bondage and all those years because God had a very specific reason for it and I want to look at his 92nd Psalm in the circuit's first five verses.

It is a good to give thanks to the Lord and the sing praises to your name. Almost 5 to declare your lovingkindness in the morning and your faithfulness by night with attending string flute and with a heart with resounding music upon the lyre for you, oh Lord, have made me glad about what you have done. I will sing for joy at the work of your hands. How great are your works of the Lord now in the Old Testament there was one tribe that was specifically given the responsibility of the upkeep of the tabernacle first and then the temple also took care of the music and the all the sacrifices and everything that went on when he came to worship and that was the tribe of Levi the Levites recall and their responsibility was to give guidance in those times and the notice if you will, in the 22nd chapter of Leviticus. Speaking of them when you sacrifice, the sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord, you shall sacrifices so that you may be accepted so this given that versus a that the offer of sacrifice for Thanksgiving was very important that they had other offerings. Other sacrifices like for example for sin and for guilt and all the rest, but it's interesting that one of those sacrifices was a sacrifice of thanksgiving.

So what did I do that Their attention upon the one who was there create a long, the one who had delivered them from Egyptian bondage and the one who was there provider and the one who was their guide Almighty God Jehovah and so that went on for year after year after year and you're called it is what God said to them, when he brought them out of Egyptian bondage and Moses spoke to them and he said to them this year to remember all the years of your life and you to handed down to every generation.

Your children and your children's children and children's children down through the generations. They are never to forget God's deliverance across the Red Sea that he could've delivered in some other way.

He could've manipulated on whatever is necessary, but I think one of the primary reasons that he brought them to the Red Sea and a time when they were absolutely totally defeated it look like and then he deliver them is because he needed to do something so dramatic they would never forget it and to be the enemy of the greatest power on earth at that time and on their way to facing death.

Here they were at the Red Sea and they could hear the rumbling of the chariots of Pharaoh and God deliver them and he said no you to tell your children and your children's children down through the ages of God's deliverance well the truth is that is exactly why God gave them many of these laws and regulations to keep reminding them. He was the one true God. The worst thing that could've happened to them was to intermarry and second only to living in idolatry because the Egyptians had so many gods and all of a sudden now there's this one God is only but always been just one, but now there to learn the lesson that this one true God, Jehovah is the one who delivered them. They must never forget it.

They were, they continually thanked God for the deliverance. So the reason I'm putting an emphasis on that is because I want you to remember this message is over that you and I also in the mornings and in the evenings in the mornings we rise to face the day. In the evening we go to bed and or nights rest.

We should give thanks to God that he created us that we are alive there was somebody and secondly that he has delivered us from the power of sin he's delivered us from the bondage of sin in their life and it's a child of God. A true believer. We are to thank him.

Also, the fact of his provision for our life every single day in which to remember also that he the one true God guides us, provides for us deliver czars created us. We owe him everything.

And when a person is very ungrateful to God. When a person says… My life I can do what I please.

There forgetting the fact that every single thing about them every every part of the human being was the creation of God and that he created us to love him to obey him to serve him to worship him to adore him and he is all mighty God, and we look in the Scriptures and see how many verses there are to this whole idea of praise and worship and singing.

This is a vital part from God's perspective. He wanted them to learn to recognize that he is the source of all that they have turned back. If you will, to the 50th Psalm and then notice what he says here about people who do honor him and to praise him recognize who is he says in the 50th chapter and the 23rd verse he who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me. That is when you not take the time to pray and thank him and assure our gratitude toward him.

He says it honors him and it's interesting also that the Dave in the Psalms. How many times he brings this up and if you look at the hundred and fifth Psalm, first verse and fifth hundred 607 all the same. O give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people sing the hymn sing praises to him speak of all his wonders. Notice I start so with the giving thanks so hundred and six long praise the Lord. O give thanks to the Lord for he is good for his lovingkindness is everlasting who can speak of the mighty deeds of the Lord who can show forth all his praise. Then in the hundred and seven Psalm listen. O give thanks to the Lord for he is good for his lovingkindness is everlasting and let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from the hand of the adversary so this continuing alter the Psalms, especially guidance, arranged the word of God that you and I are continually reminded to give thanks you also remember that oftentimes are we going through difficult and hardship where you turn you turn to read the Psalms because they're comforting and encouraging to us and so we read the Psalms and over and over and over again. God wants us to be thankful.

People we live in a time in a society we live in a culture that is very ungrateful. We take everything mostly for granted and so many times, even in our prayers we drift off into making one petition after the other. Maybe without maybe weeds may say will thank you Lord.

Now is my list and so the list is most preeminent instead of the Thanksgiving maybe you know how to give thanks to God.

But it's very very evident that giving thanks from God's perspective is absolutely essential and important and therefore what he said to them and what they were to do with the practice. The same thing individually. So as you think about how much time you give the Lord and Thanksgiving.

Sometimes it's rather convicting when you think about he's done so much for us.

He does so much for us continuously and yet we take it for granted. So let's ask the question. First of all why why does he say it's good to give thanks and that is, he says that honors him the thank God honors him. It glorifies him and magnifies him to give him thanks is an act of obedience.

For example, and so would be said and I want to say that again and again. How should we start out thanking God that he created as he gave his life thanking God moment by moment. Sometimes a day by day and morning and evening thanking God that he delivered us in the power of sin if you were not saved the day, your life would be in a mess. We are his children and he loves us and he wants to be loved in return. And so we exalt him and lift them up and we acknowledge that he is the source of all of that when we give him thanks. A second reason is this, and that is it refocuses our attention. We give thanks to God refocuses our attention is thinking about if you get up in the morning.

Are you still have to hurry up, fix your breakfast. Whatever you do if your children the next thing you know you're into it in the day and so it doesn't mean that we just attack them in the morning and thank you for the evening, but all during the day, we should live in the heart of gratitude and thanksgiving to God.

But there is something about those early morning hours. Something about those early times, because if it were not so, he wouldn't have said here to declare your lovingkindness in the morning and your faithfulness by night. Think about it and that is his his lovingkindness in the morning we have that to look forward to God will trust you for these things, whatever it might be and then in the evening to do what the thank him for his faithfulness that he's been to us all day long and so when you think about why and what God has done for us, moment by moment, day by day over and over and over again. Sometimes we think about a little gratitude we show in return. And when you think about the fact that you not saved and name is written in the Lamb's book of life with the children of a holy God and that we are absolutely secure in that salvation forever that no one can ever take it from us. They may persecute as they make killers, but they can't take away our salvation. They can't take where eternal security. They can't take away our relationship to holy God. How grateful we are to be in expressing that if we express a genuine it's going to bring him honor and it also going to keep our focus where it all be that is that on its own him 1/3 reason is this, it releases us from anxiety.

Think about this for a moment you not live in a very anxious age, everything's fast. Lots of pressure lot of expectations and responsibilities. Some of the things that people are afraid of, and you watch the news and you wonder what in the world's going to happen next. And so if you think about the kind of society we are forced to live in big the nature of things around us, then it's easy to become anxious if you watch the news you get anxious if you listen to many people talk you will become anxious, but I would you notice what he says in Philippians chapter 4, and most of us know this part of our heart that many people do not answer the six verse in the midst of all this anxiety listen to what he says in verse six of chapter 4. Paul's letter to the Philippians he says be anxious for nothing, that is not words just don't be anxious about anything, he says, but in everything by prayer and supplication, crying out to God with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God with thanksgiving and will happen the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus, that anxiety is not good for the body. Anxiety affects our body affects our mind affects our thinking effects physiologically and psychologically, mentally and emotionally. You name it. Anxiety, worry, and Freddie Solis think about this for moment you wake up in the morning and you begin to thank God that he created you and that you wanted his children now, and secondly that he's delivered you from the power of sin. And thirdly that he's going to provide everything you need all day long and number four that he is on the provider but he's going to guide you each step of the way whatever decision you have to make if those things be true. What do we have to be anxious about something so yeah but your mama situation and ask you this. Are your circumstances bigger than God know they're not you said but I'm I'm hurting so badly.

Are you hurting so badly that God cannot deal with that that he cannot relieve that Almighty God Jehovah God the one true God. You see, sometimes I listen to people. I think some people still believe is more than one God will say well that's your God know there's only one. His name is Jehovah and the nation of Israel God gave birth to this nation for the primary purpose for doing what I'm heralding to the world that there is one true God, and that one of these days.

Through him, will become the Savior of the world and so he does one is living anxiety and worry and Freddie and his what happens when you began to give God thanks for your prayers.

Or maybe your praying and singing to the Lord whatever when you start doing that is real difficult to remain anxious when you are praising God and thanking him for his power and thanking him for his faithfulness and thanking him for his devotion to the youth thanking for all these things. It's real difficult to be anxious and so let's say for example that you kneel to pray and part of that thanksgiving and part of that the whole prayer is your remembrance of things that he's not the in the past because you see if you are thanking him. You can think of are two things you can think of the passing thing of the future is lucky. Thank God for the future. Had them happen faith you asking for something and then you thank him for an perfect faith is this father. This is what I'm asking you for this is what I believe it's your will, because you made it to the materials I want to thank you it's as good as done. Somebody says but yeah but you know it's gonna not if you thank God for his will and trust him.

Then what do you do is what most people do they get on the needs that is all. Lorna, his is my problem has my heart ache is my burden. Thank you very much.

Lord, I'm not. I just want to thank you and is what you said you said that though this is the confidence that I have in you that if I ask anything according your will that you him and if I know that you hear me.

I know that I have the petitions out of you.

Thank you very much. Thank you, Jesus, and we get walk often somebody says really well. I don't know you know what I been talking to him about it and that is exactly what we do Thanksgiving listen if I'm going to thank him. I'm going to thank him for being my creator, my deliverer, I listen my supplier, whatever that may be, and my and his God ship in my life. Thanksgiving does something to you this something to your body that something you sold the something you spirit your emotions, your mind, because what happens you're focusing on the one person this absolute sovereign of the universe who loves you enough to have died on the cross and never have with talking to him about us we we got so much to be grateful for that. Oftentimes people it's all God, give me this and give me that provide this and provide. Then thank you Lord and it we get up and we still have a problem then is 1/4 reason and that is that it refreshes our relationship with now notice what he said.

He said in his 92nd chapter.

It's good to give thanks to the Lord in the sing praises to your name. Almost to declare your lovingkindness in the morning and your faithfulness at night. Well now, if I'm if I really and truly believe that he is who he says he is spending time with him and thanking him is refreshing.

It refreshes my spirit. It refreshes my relationship with, and so when you pray, and when you begin to thank God, what are you doing this was happening. This intimate relationship grows and grows and grows you are thanking God you're honoring him you're praising him you're recognizing him you're acknowledging him for who he is and what happens your spirit becomes refreshed and no matter what's going on in your life. Thanksgiving is one of the best ways to dig yourself out of the doldrums and out of discouragement, despondency and despair and all the depression all the things appearance along you know what you start.

Thank God it's hard to stay in a ditch. Somehow, usually something happens to you physically or emotionally, mentally, spiritually in every way.

And so that's the way he refreshes us and so when he said it's good to give thanks to the Lord and sing praises to his name. There lots of good reasons but one of them is it's the keep his focus, refreshing us. Reminding us of who he is and what he can do and is so willing to do for us. And so when you think about worshiping him you're refreshing that relationship because let's face it, there are times when you are required to do certain things in your life.

Maybe it's in your business, whatever it might be a maybe in helping somebody else just absolutely drains you and so what do you do you start thanking him, praising him adoring him and worshiping him however you see fit to do that and yes your whole spirit exchange was that mean yet that all the problems will disappear know he didn't promise the problem to disappear. His what he said I'm going to be with you and for me that's enough that's enough that he is with us and so what happens when you now begin to thank him and praise him that it it reinforces our faith and we begin to save Lord, whatever. I don't know why I should be all upset about this because you don't change and one of the attributes of God. That to me is the most refreshing of all is the fact that he never changes. I look in the Old Testament see what he did look in the New Testament see what he did and so if he did it for them and they didn't know Jesus as you and I know how much more efficient. We have to know that our Savior who died and rose again from the grave and since the father's right hand, he's going to keep his word every single time. Thank you for listening to it is good to give thanks to God. If you like to know more about Charles Stanley ministry satellite. This podcast is a presentation of intense ministry in Atlanta to