Topical Studies
What the Bible says about
Thankfulness
(From Forerunner Commentary)
Leviticus 23:34-36
This seventh holy day is observed immediately following the Feast of Tabernacles. Biblically, seven symbolizes perfection. It is also the eighth day of the Feast, and the Hebrew word for "eight" is related to another meaning "fatness," implying abundance, fertility - even resurrection and regeneration. According to Jewish tradition, on the Last Great Day, they finished reading what they started when Tabernacles began. Though intimately connected to the Feast of Tabernacles, it holds a distinct meaning of its own. It is part of it yet separate. The offerings required on this day in the Old Testament were the largest of all, typifying Israel's thankfulness to God for all He provided. Today, God's people keep this day with praise and thankfulness - spiritual sacrifices (Hebrews 13:15) - for His abundant spiritual gifts.
Martin G. Collins
Holy Days: Last Great Day
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Psalm 23:6
This psalm began with the sheep, as it were, bragging across the fence to his neighbor. Through the course of the psalm, we went through the cycle of a year, and in this last verse, we find ourselves back again at the home ranch. The sheep is speaking about his shepherd's house, which is not up on the high tableland but down where the home ranch is. The psalm began with a buoyant, "The LORD is my shepherd!" and it closes with an equally buoyant, positive note. The sheep is utterly satisfied. He is saying, "Boy, I love it here! Nothing will get me out of this outfit! You see, I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever." We have come full circle with the sheep giving a statement of composure and contentment. In Ephesians 2:19, the house is defined as the family of God, of which Jesus is the Head. Do our neighbors see us as being contented, happy, at peace? Do they see the effects of our intimate relationships with God in our lives? Are we good witnesses for His way? That is the question we are to ask ourselves as the psalm ends. The sheep proclaims, "I will dwell in the presence of the LORD forever," concluding this poem of praise and thanksgiving of the sheep for his shepherd. The sheep had experienced life in the shepherd's care, and he wanted more of it! That thought should be a guiding beacon for us the remainder of our lives, as long as they might be—that it is our fervent desire to dwell in the presence of the Lord always.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Psalm 23 (Part Three)
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Psalm 92:1
We should give thanks to Him, first, because it is good for us to do. It is good for God too. Although He does not need our thanks, He is glad when His children offer them. It is certainly beneficial for us. In contrast to the dangers of ingratitude, the benefits of a thankful attitude include: » Guarding against ungodly attitudes and works. » Subduing what one commentator calls "man's potentially animal-like nature." » Teaching God's "way of give," as we give thanks. » Promoting good spiritual, mental, moral and physical health. In addition, it is common sense to thank God when He has answered our prayers. After all, we undoubtedly will need help again!
Staff
Thanksgiving
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Psalm 92:4
We should thank God because He gives gladness and even a sense of triumph and victory to those who play an active part in His work, and every single member of His church has such an opportunity. We are all members of Christ's Body, and like the parts of the physical body, we have been given different talents and functions (I Corinthians 12:12-31). The apostle Paul also relates thanksgiving and triumph in I Corinthians 15:57, "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." When the Last Great Day's fulfillment arrives at last, and we see our loved ones rise in the second resurrection, we will shout with great joy, " 'Death is swallowed up in victory.' 'O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?'" (verses 54-55).
Staff
Thanksgiving
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Psalm 107:21-22
Thankfulness is offered as a spiritual sacrifice. It is given in combination with other spiritual sacrifices. As a spiritual sacrifice, thanksgiving can be offered in the form of a prayer and/or praise. Prayer, praise, and thanksgiving are almost inseparable, and they are most often offered together. Thankfulness is a peace offering (Leviticus 7:11-13). It produces peace (I Timothy 2:1-2).
Martin G. Collins
Thankfulness
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Matthew 11:1-30
Matthew 11 provides an interesting example of Christ's thankfulness and praise. The context begins with the disappointing breakdown of John the Baptist's faith (verses 2-3) and the people's discontent with both John's solemn message and Christ's more joyous one (verses 16-19). Then follows the stubborn resistance to Christ's preaching in cities highly favored to receive His attention (verses 20-24). It seems as though everything is working against Him, but what is His reaction? At that time Jesus answered and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight." (Matthew 11:25-26; Luke 10:21) Jesus rejoiced in a thankful spirit even though, from a human point of view, it did not seem logical and right. In Jesus, God presents submission to us in its purist form. Even though "He made the worlds" (Hebrews 1:2), He thankfully and joyously bowed to the will of the Lord of heaven and earth.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Sovereignty and Its Fruit: Part Ten
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Luke 17:15-18
The term “returned” (NKJV) or “turned back” (KJV) indicates that praising God requires effort and sometimes sacrifice. The healed leper was not timid or bashful about praising God. While being loud may show more dishonor than honor, in this case, his loudness showed his zeal in praising God. It also emphasized the completeness of the healing, as leprosy generally affects the voice (Psalm 51:15-17). His zeal also showed that he was not a secret disciple and not ashamed to honor God in public. He “fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks” (Luke 17:16). In each of the 38 occurrences of this verb (Greek eucharisteœ) in the New Testament, “giving of thanks” is always directed to God. We must always thank God for what He has provided (Psalm 107:8, 15, 21, 31).
Martin G. Collins
The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Ten Lepers Healed
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Luke 17:19
Jesus informs the healed leper that his faith had made him whole, and because of his return to thank and praise God, more blessing would come as a result: spiritual healing. This added blessing of salvation is especially tied to the man's faith. His faith not only sent him to Christ for healing, but it also sent him back to praise and thank Him. When we follow the will of God, we find our path taking many different turns. But we can take comfort in knowing that God has a purpose for each turn. The turns are not aimless and meaningless but are for our benefit and learning, as well as for our service to Him. No challenge in a Christian's life is without divine purpose and approval. God's providence is in control in every aspect of our lives.
Martin G. Collins
The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Ten Lepers Healed
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Acts 16:20-25
Unlike the Jews, the Romans were not limited to 39 stripes, so the beating Paul and Silas took was severe. The stocks they had to endure afterward were two large pieces of wood pierced with holes at different distances, designed to restrain the feet and produce pain. Confined to the pitch-dark bowels of the prison, Paul and Silas now lie on a filthy floor on their bloody, shredded backs, their legs painfully distended. One might think they would have every right to complain about how unfairly the Philippians had treated them—or at least to spend all their time beseeching God to relieve them of their pain. Notice verse 25, however: "But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them"! Not only were they singing praises of thanksgiving to God, but they were also doing it loud enough for the other prisoners to hear them! Just as James says in James 5:13: "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms." They were praying for their affliction, but they were also singing songs of praise to God from hearts filled with thanksgiving! Are we willing to do this, or will we just thank God when we think He deserves it? We need to make it a sincere habit to thank God fervently every day for all His benefits, glorifying His holy will and purpose for us. He is never undeserving of our praise and thanks—indeed, we cannot thank Him enough.
Mark Schindler
Ingratitude
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Romans 1:20-21
The apostle Paul is telling us that, when we neglect to be thankful, we begin to change: -
Our hearts becomes hard and selfish. -
We forget those to whom we are not thankful. When we fail to appreciate another, we are neglecting to see their worth or value. -
When we are not thankful for what we have been given, we soon take our blessings for granted. An unwillingness to thank God for His great love, mercy, and all the other things He provides and does for us will eventually alienate our affections and harden our heart toward Him, causing us to be blinded to all that He is doing in our lives. We can be working to obey God, be receiving His blessings, and approve of God's laws and actions, but if we are not praising and thanking Him, an important aspect of our spiritual development is missing. In a sense, gratitude is the glue that cements our relationship with Him! This end-time environment can pull us down if we do not take time to consider all that has been done for us. The Passover season annually reminds us of who we are and the price paid for us in great love, so that we can be forgiven and come before the great God of the universe. But we should not relegate this lesson just to the springtime; it is a good idea to remember this fact frequently throughout the year. The late fall and winter is an excellent time to remember why we should have a thankful heart at all times, despite what is happening in the world. II Corinthians 3:16 tells us that the veil of blindness has been lifted from our minds to give us understanding of spiritual matters that this world cannot comprehend. What God has given us is considered a treasure placed in human vessels (II Corinthians 4:7). Do we value that as highly as we should? Do we thank God for it? Even if it brings us persecution, we are to give thanks for it. Jesus says in Luke 6:23 that we should "rejoice in that day and leap for joy!" As we see our country founder in confusion, it can be difficult to offer thanks, and yet the giving of thanks to God is of the utmost importance. When we are in a thankful relationship with God, our whole attitude changes toward repentance and obedience, and overcoming takes on new meaning. When we truly thank God, we reflect our love toward Him, and we seek to honor Him. God, who is capable of far greater feelings than what we can express, highly appreciates our thankfulness toward Him, and it results in blessings toward us, especially those of the Spirit. Perhaps best of all, He draws us closer to Him, and our relationship with Him grows. We live in an unthankful world, and we in this nation take many of God's wonderful blessings for granted, never considering all the sacrifices that have been made to produce them. Because we live in this greatly blessed country, though we are not truly part of it (see John 17:14-16), we must train ourselves to consider our blessings and give thanks. When we do, it is a win-win situation. We win because we focus on God and His work, and God wins, because in our response to Him in giving thanks, He draws us closer to Him.
John O. Reid
What Is There to Be Thankful for Today?
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Philippians 4:6
Our prayers should reflect our gratitude toward God for what He has done in our lives and what He gives to us. Our everyday words and thoughts should reflect a positive mindset of hope and joy in thankfulness towards God our Father for His great plan of salvation and our parts in it. Thankfulness is a form of contentment, or we could view it as peace of mind or tranquility. A truly thankful person is usually not an individual who worries a lot. Being thankful puts our thoughts on God, rather than on our problems. In Colossians 3:15, Paul writes encouragingly, "Let the peace of God rule in your hearts to which also you were called in one body and be thankful." The more we allow God's peace to be in control, the more settled and more thankful we will become. On the flip side, the more thankful we are, the more God's peace will rule our hearts and minds. In our society, many problems like discouragement, depression, anger, and other mental and emotional troubles are treated with chemicals and drugs. These medicines are designed to offer some form of relief. Some work and some do not. Many have side effects that, in some cases, are worse than the original problem. Some are addictive. For us, though, thankfulness and praising God are effective and beneficial antidotes for discouragement, depression, and anger. Supplication with thanksgiving will enliven our prayer life. It will lift us up and give us a more positive perspective. A thankful attitude will help to erase any doubts we may have as we pray, and it will also decrease uncertainty in our lives in general because we know where our help comes from (see Psalm 121:1-8). Proper thankfulness will help us increase our faith in God because we will constantly be relating to and reflecting on Him. God is always deserving of our praise or thanks—indeed, we cannot thank Him enough. How does our heavenly Father feel when we express only a qualified "thank you" occasionally or not at all? How does He feel, knowing that He has done what is the absolute and perfect best for us, and we just shrug it off? How do we feel when this type of unthankful behavior happens to us? Our thanksgiving to God should be so effusive that He will never feel that way! Ingratitude, whether passive or active, is a tool that Satan can use to turn us away from God and His Family. By succumbing to thanklessness, we can allow him to plant us as tares within the church and spread our ingratitude to others. A steady outflow of gratitude to God will knock this weapon from the Devil's hand. Such a constant attitude of thankfulness and earnest thanksgiving, no matter the circumstances, is a gift from God to us. Gratitude spreads a healing balm among those with whom we fellowship, and it will help to speed us along the path to God's Kingdom.
Staff
Daily Thanksgiving
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1 Thessalonians 2:13
The principle of thanking God without ceasing means often and for everything. Anytime is appropriate. Nevertheless, the principle of balance holds true as well. Thanksgiving would be just vain repetition if we thoughtlessly repeated our thankfulness all day. Conversely, ingratitude is a deadly but common sin. Human beings tend to neglect giving God proper gratitude more than being excessively thankful (Romans 1:20-21).
Martin G. Collins
Thankfulness
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1 Thessalonians 5:18
It is God's will for us to be thankful because He knows that it is good for us to have an attitude of thankfulness towards Him. When we have a thankful attitude and an attitude of appreciation for Him and what He does for us, it does not leave much room for ingratitude in our lives. In reading Psalm 8:3-6, we can see ourselves in perspective to God's creation: When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man, that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet. . . . God has given us—humanity—dominion over the things that He has created. And beyond that, out of all humanity, we have been given a tremendous responsibility to develop righteous character and have the potential of living eternally in His Kingdom. This thought alone should help us to be thankful each day.
Staff
Daily Thanksgiving
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2 Thessalonians 1:3
Through the apostle Paul's example, we see that it is our duty to be thankful for each other on a constant basis. It is difficult to be upset with someone while at the same time thanking God that he is our brother in Christ. Spurred by outgoing concern for others, we can be thankful for the faith of Christ exhibited in them, their conversion, the true love they show through obedience to His Word, the earnest care or zeal exhibited by them for the brethren and God's work. The list is endless (II Corinthians 9:11).
Martin G. Collins
Thankfulness
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1 Timothy 6:6-8
When we are thankful, it means that we have been impressed with a sense of kindness that has been expressed toward us, and we desire to acknowledge it. Essentially, it indicates that we are grateful. Thankfulness is the actual expression of our gratitude and acknowledgement of the kindness done to us. Thankfulness is also a state of mind, an attitude. It is a content and positive perspective, which does not focus on what one does not have, but rather values what one does have, no matter how basic. Paul continues this thought in the following verses, explaining that greediness creates a great many problems, ultimately bringing upon us discontent and unhappiness. This is just the opposite of the thankfulness that real contentment generates. Reading these verses on greed and considering the greedy state of man's mind, a popular bumper sticker from several years ago comes to mind: "He who dies with the most things . . . wins." Of course, it did not take long for those whose thinking ran counter to this to reply with their own that read, "He who dies with the most things . . . is dead." This is true; the pursuit of material gain to the exclusion of all else ends in death. Being thankful is part of being content. Unfortunately, many people feel that being content means that they have to give up on their dreams and goals. It does not. Like thankfulness, contentment is a state of mind. God wants us to be content with and thankful for what we have been given. That does not mean that we cannot want better and work to make our situations better, but it does mean that we should not approach our proper desire for more with a greedy, covetous attitude. Nor can we compare what others have and what we may not have from an attitude that we deserve the same or even better. Maybe we do deserve it, but right now God has chosen not to give it to us, and we must be content with that and thankful for what we have been given. How thankful and content we are can be seen in the illustration of water in a glass. Is the glass half-full or half-empty? Our answer depends on and reveals our state of mind.
Staff
Daily Thanksgiving
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2 Timothy 3:2
"Thanksgiving" means virtually the same thing in Hebrew, Greek, and English: a heartfelt and cheerful acknowledgment of favors bestowed on us by others. This is especially interesting because it involves consciously thinking about a circumstance that makes one feel a sense of obligation. The English "thank" comes from the same root as "think." Its Indo-European root is tong, whose basic meaning is "to know or form in the mind, regard or consider; to determine by reflecting." Thanking involves thinking. Spiritually, it is consciously looking for the good with God in view. Some say that ingratitude is the most common of sins. II Timothy 3:2 shows that it is a hallmark of the end-time generations not to consider, or reflect deeply upon God's part in our peace, prosperity, and liberties. This is a practice that we must develop by exercising it on a daily basis. The Greek word translated unthankful, means "to refuse to recognize debts; to feel one has the right to services and be without obligation." The American attitude is not disregard of God, but rather failing to remember the good He has done. We have become indifferent in relating blessings to God, and He calls upon us to reverse this in our lives. This right worship of Him requires a true knowledge of Him, keeping His commandments and steady communication with Him in prayer and study so we really come to know Him. Then we can be truly thankful on a daily basis.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Thanksgiving or Self-Indulgence?
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Hebrews 13:15
Praising God is a spiritual sacrifice. Sincerely offering praise to God is an acceptable sacrifice that pleases Him. Praise is a form of spiritual worship that helps us stay focused on God. It was the continual responsibility of the Levitical priesthood "to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord, and likewise at evening" (I Chronicles 23:30). Also, David organized the Levites in "their duties (to praise and serve before the priests) as the duty of each day required" (II Chronicles 8:14). Whole families of the tribe of Levi were set apart to praise God in the Temple through vocal and instrumental music (I Chronicles 25). King David set us an example. He praised God seven times each day (Psalm 119:164). The principle here is that we should be praising God continually or be prepared to do so at any time, not a specific number of times a day. Oftentimes, if we do something by rote, its meaning and sincerity suffer greatly.
Martin G. Collins
The Sacrifice of Praise
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Hebrews 13:15
The Bible links thanks and praise so closely that they almost seem to be the same thing. They are not, but they are closely related. The reason they often appear together is that praise grows out of thanksgiving. The process goes from being grateful to God to extolling, lauding, commending, and acclaiming Him for His works, purpose, and nature. Notice that Paul describes them as a sacrifice, giving up some cherished thing for the sake of another. We must give up time, energy, and effort to think about, thank, and praise God for the good He has done. We could have used this time, energy, and effort on ourselves or taken it for granted as owed to us as our right or privilege. Perhaps this magnifies what is wrong with Thanksgiving in America. Though not pagan, Americans still do not keep it in honor of God, as their conduct shows. It is thus a hollow shell of what it could be and should be to us.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Thanksgiving or Self-Indulgence?
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Revelation 4:8-11
In Revelation we see that a main theme in the Kingdom at the throne of God is thankfulness. This song of the angels, elders, and the four living creatures shows the reverence that all have in God's presence. There are seven aspects of praise listed here in this spiritual worship of God. Seven signifies totality and completeness. Thankfulness comprises part of this list. In great contrast to this present evil world's gross ingratitude, God has revealed to those who will listen and act that thankfulness is a duty to which the elect of God are bound. Praise and thank God for all His works and for providing brethren by whom we can be encouraged. By developing a thankful attitude now, we prepare ourselves for the soon-coming Kingdom of God.
Martin G. Collins
Thankfulness
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Find more Bible verses about Thankfulness:
Thankfulness {Nave's}
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