Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe.
I came across this verse recently and stopped to think about all the reasons we can be thankful. Of course, we could go on and on, but here is a list of five reasons we can be thankful.
God answers our prayers. The Lord tells us in Isaiah 65:24 “I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers.” Jesus even said it where those around him could hear it, “Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here so that they will believe you sent me.” (John 11:41, NLT)
God provides for our needs. “Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.” (Psalm 34:10, NLT). The Lord was telling His disciples not to worry in Luke 12:31 (NLT). “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and He will give you everything you need.”
He blesses us. David reminds us in a song recorded in 1 Chronicles 16:34 (NLT) “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever.” Paul wrote in Philippians 4:6b (NLT) “Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.” Paul finds contentment in the blessings he has received from the Lord. He says in verse 12 “I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.”
He is the Lord Most High. In Psalm 100, a psalm of thanksgiving, verse 4 reads “Enter His gates with thanksgiving; go into His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name.” In Psalm 7:17 (NLT) “I will thank the LORD because he is just; I will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.”
We have brothers and sisters in Christ. Paul did not know these, yet he was encouraged and thanked God for them. “The brothers and sisters in Rome had heard we were coming, and they came to meet us at the Forum on the Appian Way. Others joined us at The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he was encouraged and thanked God.” Paul’s letters often included thanks for the brothers and sisters. “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.” (Philippians 1:3, NLT).
This is what I know. Reading God’s Word constantly reminds me why I am to be thankful! Dive into the scriptures and I know you will soon learn of multiple reasons why you should thank the Lord. Our prayers should always include thanksgiving!
"His faithful love endures forever."
Until next time...
Chaplain Gray
