It is thanksgiving day in the year of the Lord 2013 and many would spend time with their loved ones, possibly around a thanksgiving dinner, reminiscing and giving thanks to God for his provisions and protection. But is there more to giving thanks than just a recollection of God’s goodness in one’s personal and public life. We are certainly expected to give thanks to God, but then what?
The Bible counsels us in 1 Chronicles 16:8-12 that we need to first give thanks to the Lord but then commands us with seven other things that we ought to do.
These seven include:
1. Call upon the name of the Lord
2. Make known his deeds
3. Sing unto him (praise him)
4. Talk of his wondrous works
5. Glory in his holy name
6. Seek the Lord (his strength and face) continually
7. Remember his marvelous works
Points to ponder:
Do you/I call upon the name of the Lord for all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Joel 2:32). The Bible says, Call unto me and I will answer says the Lord and show you great and mighty things that you do not know (Jeremiah 33:3).
Do you/I make know his deeds? Jesus said that he came to “do” the will of God the Father (John 6:38) and he finished the “work” of paying the price for the wages of sin by his death (Romans 6:23) and abolished death and destroyed the devil (2 Timothy 1:10; Hebrews 2:14), once and for all (Hebrews 10:10; John 19:30). Do you/I make known This Gospel Deed of Jesus, saving mankind once for all?
Do you/I sing unto him and offer to him the sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name (Hebrews 13:15)?
Do you/I talk of his wondrous works, that is, is our conversation that of heaven, where our citizenship lies (Philippians 3:20), or is it of earthly things that will pass away (Revelation 21:1)?
Do you/I glory in his holy name? In other words, do we bless his holy name (Psalm 103:2) and exult (rejoice) in it, for the Name of the Lord is a strong tower and the righteous who run into it are safe (Proverbs 18:10)?
Do you/I seek the Lord continually for Jesus teaches us that we ought to seek the Kingdom of God first and all other things that we need shall be added unto us (Matthew 6:33)? Let us seek the Lord, while he may still be found (Isaiah 55:6).
Do you/I remember his marvelous works? Let us not forget and forsake his first love, but let us remember, repent and return to him who first loved us and let us love God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind (Revelation 2:5; Luke 10:27).
Let us Give thanks and then …
1 Chronicles 16:8 (KJV)
8 Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.
9 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works.
10 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.
11 Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually.
12 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;
