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Thanks Be to God
Webster’s dictionary defines “thankfulness” as “being conscious of
benefit received,” and as “being expressive of thanks.”
Most of us try to be conscious of the benefits we receive from others and
express our appreciation for them. Most Christians also make it a point to
thank God every day, realizing that ultimately everything we have comes from
God. As James puts it in James 1:17:
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above; it comes down
from the Father of all light, in Whom there can be no variation or shadow
cast by His turning.”
James wants us to know that God is utterly dependable and trustworthy,
not unpredictable like shifting shadows. In our world of uncertainty and
danger, we can always count on God to be good, to love us unfailingly no
matter what else happens, even when we are failing to live as we know we
should.
There is no greater comfort than to know that God is faithful to us, even
when we are not faithful to him. Like the father of the prodigal son, God
never gives up on us, and always runs to meet us in joy when he sees us
coming down the path toward home.
In fact, as Jesus said, he will never leave us or forsake us. God is
right there beside us even when we’re at our worst. His patient love will
simply never end, because in Christ he has taken us into himself. We are one
with him, and because we are one with him, we are one with each other. As
Jesus said in John 14:19-20,
“Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that
I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.”
The apostle Paul encourages us to express our thanks for the good things
we receive from God. He wrote in Ephesians 5:19-20:
“Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and
make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to
God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
In this spirit of thanksgiving, the Greek-speaking Christians called the
Lord’s Supper eucharist, which means “thanksgiving.” Indeed, giving
thanks is the keynote of our lives and the center of all our worship. Is it
any wonder that the Bible has more than 550 references to giving thanks?
Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 9:15, “Thanks be to God for His
indescribable gift!”
Yes, on Thanksgiving Day, as on every day, we have much to give thanks
for, because God has saved us and made us his own through Jesus Christ.
I’m Joseph Tkach, speaking of life.
Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do you say that
I am?" We have a free booklet, The God Revealed in Jesus Christ,
to help you answer that question. In the United States, to request your
free copy, see http://www.gci.org/god/revealed Or call
us toll-free at 1-800-423-4444.
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