Psalm 75:1, “We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.”
Are you truly thankful for every breath and every heartbeat God continues to give you, or do you just bite your upper lip and try to make it through the day?
Think it through and think well on it, for we all must understand that true biblical thankfulness is not a matter of choice but rather an act of obedience. As Psalm 50:14 directs us, “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving and perform your vows to the most High.” Just as God commanded his people in the wilderness to offer sacrifices of bulls and goats to atone for sin, he commands us to offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving continually, for that is our duty to our God.
Scripture is full of examples of and references to thankfulness. Jesus is our perfect example of thankfulness, being thankful in every work he accomplished before God.[1] The heavenly host engage in thankfulness.[2] We are to live in a spirit of thankfulness to Christ for what he has done for us.[3] Proper thanksgiving is offered through Christ[4] and in the name of Christ.[5] It is to be offered in private worship,[6] in public worship,[7] and because of who God is and everything he does.[8]
We should thank God when we complete tasks that are especially challenging,[9] before eating food,[10] when we remember his holiness,[11] and for the goodness and mercy he shows in his provisions for us.[12] We should be especially thankful to God for the gift of Jesus Christ,[13] for Christ’s current power and reign,[14] for the effectual working of the word of God in us and others,[15] for deliverance through Christ from sin,[16] for the victory over death and the grave he purchased for us by his blood,[17] for wisdom and strength,[18] for the triumph of the gospel in the world,[19] and for the conversion of others.[20]
Christians are commanded to be thankful continually,[21] habitually offer sacrifices of thankfulness,[22] abound in the faith with thankfulness,[23] magnify God by thankfulness,[24] come before God with thankfulness,[25] and to enter God’s gates (the gates of his house of worship) with thankfulness.[26]
The Bible is filled with instances of giving thanks to God by his people, such as Eve (Gen. 4:1, 25), Noah (Gen. 8:20), Melchizedek (Gen. 14:20), Lot (Gen. 19:19), Sarah (Gen. 21:6-7), Abraham (Gen. 12:7; 13:4), Isaac (Gen. 26:22), Leah (Gen. 29:32–35), Rachel (Gen. 30:6), Jacob (Gen. 31:42; 35:3, 7), Joseph (Gen. 41:51, 52), Moses (Exod. 15:1–19), Miriam (Exod. 15:20–22), Hannah (1 Sam. 1:27-28), David (2 Sam. 6:21), and the shepherds who heard the angel’s announcement of Christ (Luke 2:20). Many of those whom Jesus healed were thankful, such as the man with palsy (Luke 5:25), the healed demoniac (Luke 8:39), the woman bent over with infirmity (Luke 13:13), one of the ten lepers (Luke 17:15-16), blind Bartimaeus (Luke 18:43; Mark 10:46–52), and the centurion for his son (John 4:53).
In Scripture, Christians are sometimes given a command to do something, sometimes given instructions on how to do something, and sometimes given examples to follow. With thanksgiving, we have all three. In Psalm 100:4 we are commanded, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him and bless his name.” In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Paul instructs the Christians there, “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God concerning you.” And Psalm 75:1 is just one of a multitude of examples we are given, where Asaph and his people were praising God for his wonderful works.
Why do Christians give thanks? True thanksgiving gives a sensibleness to all the other works we may accomplish and magnifies the character of God in our mind and heart. It allows us to gain more of God through Jesus Christ. Our hearts are lifted as we give thanks. Our minds are strengthened because we see more of God. Our faith is secured as we gratefully receive whatever God does in our life.
What is the outcome of our thanksgiving? It is that God draws near us, “Your wondrous works declare Your name is near.” The word means kinsman or coming into an intimate proximity of the object, primarily that of drawing near to God.
Giving thanks to God is foundational to our Christian walk. Ephesians 5:20 says, “Giving thanks for all things unto God even the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Only the Gospel makes this possible. Psalm 107:1, “O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endures forever.” Mercy is found only in Jesus Christ.[27] God sent His one and only Son Jesus Christ to live for us, to die for us, to be a curse for us, to be stricken and smitten for us, to be abhorred for us, to be desolated for us, to be crucified for us, to be raised for us, to continually intercede for us so that we may be truly grateful and give thanks to him for his person and work.
So, how do you thank him?
Contemplations:
- Lord, teach me that giving thanks to you is not only about saying; it is also about doing. It is not enough for me to say, “You know my heart.” Rather, you require the biblical action of a specially prepared heart in the giving of real thankfulness. Real thankfulness is an attitude and it is an action.
- You say, Lord, in Psalm 105:45, “That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the LORD.” Does this have much to do with my giving thanks to you? I know that the end of God’s bountiful provision, the end of Christ’s work, and the point of your demonstration of power and providence is your own glory. As a result of your desire and intention to see yourself glorified, it is your purpose to make your people act as you act. That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. I see that thankfulness is more than simply something I say or think to you.
- Lord, I know that my regular observation of all your commandments is the end of all your glorious administrations for my comfort, which then in turn becomes real thanksgiving in me. So, I must take note that without true obedience before you, I cannot really be thankful to you for who you are and what you have done in Christ Jesus for me. Help me consider this deeply that I may be able to give real thanksgiving to you.
Further References for Psalm 75:1:
Psalm 18:49, 26:7; 1 Cor. 15:57; Col. 1:12.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Matt. 11:25, 26:27; John 11:41.
[2] Rev. 4:9, 7:11, 12, 11:16-17.
[3] 1 Tim. 1:12.
[4] Rom. 1:8; Col. 3:17; Heb. 13:15.
[5] Eph. 5:20.
[6] Dan. 6:10.
[7] Psa. 35:18.
[8] 1 Thess. 5:18.
[9] Neh. 12:31, 40.
[10] John 6:11; Acts 27:35; Josh. 9:14; 1 Sam. 9:13; Matt. 14:19; Mark 6:41; Luke 9:16; John 6:11, 23; Matt. 26:26, 27; Mark 14:22, 23; Luke 22:19; 1 Cor. 11:24; Mark 8:6, 7; Matt. 15:36; Acts 27:35; Rom. 14:6; 1 Cor. 10:30, 31; 1 Tim. 4:3–5.
[11] Psa. 30:4; 97:12.
[12] Psa. 106:1; 107:1; 136:1–3.
[13] 2 Cor. 9:15.
[14] Rev. 11:17.
[15] 1 Thess. 2:13.
[16] Rom. 7:23–25.
[17] 1 Cor. 15:57.
[18] Dan. 2:23.
[19] 2 Cor. 2:14.
[20] Rom. 6:17.
[21] Psa. 105:1; Col. 3:15.
[22] Psa. 18:49; 30:12, Dan. 6:10, Psa. 116:17.
[23] Col. 2:7.
[24] Psa. 69:30.
[25] Psa. 95:2.
[26] Psa. 100:4.
[27] Rom. 10:12-13, Rom. 11:32, Rom. 15:9; 1 Cor. 15:10; 2 Cor. 1:3, 2 Cor. 4:15, 2 Cor. 12:9; Eph. 1:6–8, Eph. 2:4–7; 1 Tim. 1:13; Tit. 3:5; Heb. 4:16, Heb. 8:12; James 2:13; James 4:8; James 5:11, 15; 1 Pet. 1:3, 1 Pet. 5:10; 2 Pet. 3:9, 15; 1 John 1:9; Rev. 2:21.
