give thanks to the Lord - Bible Witness Media Ministry

give thanks To the Lord
because it seems to suggest that we can
give as little as we wish, and God would
still be happy. We are supposed to give
with a cheerful and generous heart. 2
Corinthians 9:7 says, “Every man according
as he purposeth in his heart, so let him
give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for
God loveth a cheerful giver.” Let not your
praise be marred by your stingy behaviour.
“We give little out of much” is a statement
of guilt. We must be giving as much as
the Holy Spirit requires of us. Our giving
is to be directed by God because it is a
thanksgiving offering. We should not give
and then say, “I’m sorry I can only give a
little.” What kind of worship would that
be If you can only give 10 cents because
that is all God has given you, be sure that it
is not a small gift. It is a big gift because you
respond according to what God has given.
It is not the size of your gift, but the size of
your thankfulness to God. When you sing,
sing with all your heart. When you say,
“Praise the Lord”, say it because the Spirit
of God causes that response within you.
Similarly, when you give, give as the Lord
directs you, without restraint.
Testify His goodness with
thanksgiving
Give thanks by testifying of the
wonderful works of the Lord, telling
people how God has been good to you.
Psalm 22:22 says, “I will declare thy name
unto my brethren: in the midst of the
congregation will I praise thee.” Psalm
26:12 also says, “My foot standeth in an
even place: in the congregations will I
bless the LORD.” The time of fellowship
after the worship service is not for you to
talk about how you played golf or caught
fish or went on a holiday. It is not wrong,
however, if you were to say that the Lord
helped you through your difficulties:
“I had a backache when I played golf, but
the Lord was very kind—He sustained
me and did not allow it to get worse.” But
sometimes, people seem to have nothing to
praise God for. It is always about what they
had done, or what had happened, or what
their children had done, but seldom do
they praise God. God’s people must always
be a people of thanksgiving. For them,
the greatest joy on earth is to glorify God;
whether they eat or drink, all must be done
to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).
“Oh that men would praise the LORD for
his goodness, and for his wonderful works
to the children of men!” (Psalm 107:8, 15,
21, 31).
Thanksgiving comes as a result of the
remembrance of past blessings and of the
hope of what God is able to do unto us in
His great mercy and goodness. “Praise ye
the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD;
for he is good: for his mercy endureth for
ever” (Psalm 106:1). Thank God not only
for all His blessings in the past, but also for
the fact that He remains good and merciful
even today, and throughout our life on
earth. “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and
all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not
all his benefits” (Psalm 103:1-2).
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