Giving Thanks to God Always
Jan
The account of the ten lepers in Luke 17:11-19 NKJV reminds us of the mercy of Jesus. Ten men afflicted with leprosy cried out to Him, and He compassionately healed them all. Yet only one person returned to give Him thanks. As I reflected on this passage, I began to think about my life and how good He has been to me. From January through December, there were countless moments when I cried out to God and each time, He showed me mercy.
This story reflects the experience of many Christians around the world. We pray, God answers, but do we return to Him to simply say, “Thank You”?
Background
When I take a step back and look at my life, I see it overflowing with God’s favor and mercy. I have so much to be grateful for. Recently I was thinking about the things God has done for me. It was easy to identify the more “big” and “recent” ones that He did for me. However, recalling what He did months ago was more difficult. Even when I did, I couldn’t recall the exact details as it happened in the moment. And I know there are people who will identify with me here.
There are others who don’t know why they should even give thanks to Him. Perhaps the other nine people who did not return felt the same way. Maybe they thought, “Why should we go back and thank Him? He has already healed us”.
These questions stirred and inspired me to write my first blog post, with the hope that we might begin to see thanksgiving differently (deeper and more intentional).
Thanksgiving Means Something
When I think of Thanksgiving, the person that comes to mind is David in the Bible. When the ark of God was brought to Jerusalem he said:
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!” 1 Chronicles 16:8 NKJV
After God delivered him from danger he proclaimed:
“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:1-4 NKJV
There are many figures in the Bible but David was unique, for he touched God’s heart in an extraordinary way. And the way he did it was through a life of Praise and Thanksgiving to God.
How do I know he touched God’s heart? Just open your Bible app and search the phrase “For the sake of David” and scripture upon scripture repeatedly affirms this.
“Yet the Lord would not destroy Judah, for the sake of His servant David, as He promised him to give a lamp to him and his sons forever.” 2 Kings 8:19 NKJV
“Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. Nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I will tear it out of the hand of your son.” I Kings 11:11–12 NKJV
What is Thanksgiving?
I love what David wrote in 1 Chronicles 16:34 NKJV. He said:
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”
David shows us exactly what thanksgiving means to him because he has seen the goodness and the mercy of the Lord. You cannot encounter the Goodness of God and not go back to Him to say thank you. David was not a perfect man by any means and he made mistakes. But he was never defined those mishaps because he always found mercy in the sight of God.
God’s goodness located him and anointed him King over Israel when he was only a shepherd boy (I Samuel 16:1-13 NKJV ).
So, when he said in 1 Chronicles 16:34 NKJV “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever” that, to me, is the definition of thanksgiving because of what it meant to him.
Total Recall
If I asked you to recall what you had for breakfast three Mondays ago, chances are that you may not remember. How about recollecting the exact lunch you had 6 months ago. Recalling from memory may prove difficult for most people. The truth is that people tend to forget things as life moves on. Maybe the other nine lepers immediately forgot once they had their healing. In Genesis 40, when Joseph interpreted the dream of the Chief Butler, he pleaded with him in verse 14:
“But remember me when it is well with you, and please show kindness to me; make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house.” Genesis 40:14 NKJV
But what happened in verse 23:
“Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.” Genesis 40:23 NKJV
The human memory can easily forget, whether intentionally or not, it can happen. So, I came up with a new scientific methodology that the world has not encountered before. Not even AI knows about it. And are you ready to hear it? It’s called writing it down.
Because you can easily forget, how about documenting the things the Lord has done for you so that you don’t. By doing so, you become intentional about recognizing the blessings of God and giving Him His Glory.
How to Practice Intentional Thanksgiving
Here are a few simple steps:
- Choose your preferred mode of documentation; it could be a diary, notepad or even your phone.
- Decide on the frequency of the documentation; it could be weekly, bi-weekly or monthly. Decide on the approach that works best for you. Remember, it is better to be consistent with the approach you choose than not to do it all. Consistency matters more than frequency.
- Based on the approach you decided (e.g. weekly) write down at least one thing you’re thankful to the Lord for.
- Avoid writing one line sentences for the things you are thankful for. Elaborate and provide specific details (emotions) so that you are NOT reliant on your memory when you pick it up later in the future.
- For example, if in the first week of January God delivered you from a specific tragedy in a timely manner, write exactly what the situation was, how you felt, what God did and how you felt afterwards.
- By doing so, fast forward to October, you will know exactly how you felt in the moment and what God did for you.
- Revisit your thanksgiving journal often throughout the year. Decide on the frequency and when to reflect on it. As you do, pause to offer heartfelt thanks to God. Like David, cultivate a spirit of gratitude remembering what the Lord has already done for you and praising Him for what He continues to do.
Why it Matters
Your personal experience with God is the most convincing testimony there is. Nothing speaks louder than your own story with Him.
As David said in 1 Chronicles 16:34 NKJV, “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”
Intentional thanksgiving:
- Helps account for all the things He has done for us so we can give Him praise and thanks.
- Strengthens us during difficult seasons. It is always great to review your notes during such times to serve as a reminder of who God is and how He has been good to you. If He did it once, He can do it again.
- Increases our faith in Him and encourages us not to look to anyone else but Him.
Biblical Examples
- Mordecai (Esther 2:21-24, Esther 6 NKJV )
Mordecai saved the King’s life and it was recorded in the King’s chronicles. When the King discovered what Mordecai had done, he honored him. If the deeds of men are recorded and honored, how much more God? Let us make it a lifestyle of documenting everything the Lord does for us.
- The Word of God
The Bible itself is documented evidence of Christ and what He did for us. God was intentional to ensure the events of His Word were documented so that it will be a blessing to us all 2000 years after the death of Christ.
Power of Thanksgiving
The Prayer of Thanksgiving encapsulates all other prayers. As new born Christians, God has made provision (healing, wisdom, financial breakthrough) for everything we will ever need on this earth through His Word.
Jesus Christ understood the principle of giving thanks (John 6:1-14 NKJV ). When faced with the prospect of feeding 5000 people with five loaves and two fishes, He gave thanks because He knew the provision of multiplication was already available to Him.
There is another dimension of God’s power that is activated when you begin to live a life of Thanksgiving unto Him. Let us begin to walk in this truth today.
