O Give Thanks

 O Give Thanks

July 31, 2026

Psalm 107:1-2 (NKJV) 

1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for [He is] good^h2896a! For His mercy^H2617a [endures] forever. 2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say [so,] Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy,

It is good to give thanks to the Lord. His goodness and mercy are far greater than the English words describe. He is goodness and mercy in a way that transcends all that we Think of as good. From the Strongs dictionary, we learn that this word includes concepts of grace, favor, delight and happiness. God is good in more ways than we can comprehend,

And mercy, checed, is likewise rich in meaning. It includes ideas of lovingkindness, mercy and beauty. He loves us far more than we appreciate. As John puts it, “God so loved the world that He gave His only son...” We give thanks to the Lord who loves us so. 

According to the psalmist, our response is to say so. If your heart is happy, let your face know it, and then tell someone of God’s mercy and grace. As the saying goes;

The Lord is good all the time,

And all the time, the Lord is good.

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Strong's Definitions: 

H2617a חֶסֶד  cheçed, kheh'-sed; from H2616; kindness; by implication (towards God) piety; rarely (by opposition) reproof, or (subjectively) beauty:—favour, good deed(-liness, -ness), kindly, (loving-) kindness, merciful (kindness), mercy, pity, reproach, wicked thing.

h2896a. טוֹב tob; from 2895; pleasant, agreeable, good:--

beautiful(11), beneficial(1), best(7), better(75), better a good(1), charming*(1), cheerful(3), choice(2), delightful(1), fair(1), favor(1), favorable(3), favorably(3), festive(1), fine(3), fine ones(1), fit(1), generous*(1), glad(1), good(196), good and to those who(1), good is better(1), good man(3), good men(1), good-looking*(1), gracious(1), handsome(3), handsome*(1), happy(1), holiday*(3), intelligent*(1), kind(1), like*(1), man(1), more*(2), one(1), one who(1), one who(1), one who...

Attitude of Gratitude

 Attitude of Gratitude 

June 15, 2026

Philippians 4:6 (NKJV) 

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

Ephesians 5:20 (NKJV) 

giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Having the mind of Christ involves adopting several attitudes. One of these is gratitude. We once had a pastor that printed signs that said “Attitude of Gratitude”, and had us tape it to our bathroom mirror where we would see it first thing every morning. I don’t remember how long that sign stayed there. That house has been sold and that pastor has moved on to his eternal reward, but the lesson remains. If you want to live with the mind of Christ, start your day with an attitude of gratitude. 

This has always been difficult for me. I spent my working life looking for faults in paper making equipment that could be fixed, and investigating inefficiencies that could be improved. That is an attitude of continuous improvement, which leads to increasing productivity, but does not foster a sense of gratitude for what you have. In order to give thanks for all things, you have to be grateful for what you have now, being confident that God will supply anything that is lacking.

So endeavor to give thanks always for all things and make your requests known to God with thanksgiving. Such an attitude will lead you to have the mind of Christ and drawn you closer to the Lord. Shalom.

 

Post Thankgiving Ruminations

 Post Thanksgiving Ruminations

November 28, 2025

Some post Thanksgiving proverbs::

Proverbs 28:1 (NASB95) 

The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, But the righteous are bold as a lion.

Proverbs 27:7 (NASB95) 

Asated man loathes honey, But to a famished man any bitter thing is sweet.

Proverbs 23:1-2 (NASB95) 

1 When you sit down to dine with a ruler, Consider carefully what is before you, 2 And put a knife to your throat If you are a man of great appetite.

I was thinking of the first one as we were walking off our Thanksgiving dinner this morning. I’m not much of a runner, so if you see me running, look for who is chasing me! So that is my favorite running proverb. But we did walk a bit to let the turkey settle. Now a couple of weeks ago, we might have been chased by our neighbor’s turkeys, but they were “processed” the other day, so were part of the dinner, not part of the walk this time. It’s just as well. They were sort of mean tom turkeys and reminded me of the rooster that pestered me when I was a child. We had to walk through the chicken yard to get to the outhouse, and the rooster would chase me and peck me on the hear, so I have no love for mean, male fowl!

Other proverbs speak about over eating. Of course it’s too late to prevent you from overeating this Thanksgiving, we’re already experiencing that sated feeling. But that will soon pass and we’ll be looking for honey again. So don’t put the knife to your throat just yet, but enjoy those turkey sandwiches and football games as you continue to give thanks for our bountiful blessings. We can make light of over eating because we are blessed with abundance and have plenty to eat. So be thankful. You can always try to remember to not eat so much next year!

Testing, Testing

 Testing, Testing

November 26, 2025

Psalm 26:1-12 (NASB95) 1 A Psalm of David. 

Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity, And I have trusted in the LORD without wavering. 2 Examine me, O LORD, and try me; Test my mind and my heart. 3 For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes, And I have walked in Your truth. 4 I do not sit with deceitful men, Nor will I go with pretenders. 5 I hate the assembly of evildoers, And I will not sit with the wicked. 6 I shall wash my hands in innocence, And I will go about Your altar, O LORD, 7 That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving And declare all Your wonders. 8 O LORD, I love the habitation of Your house And the place where Your glory dwells. 9 Do not take my soul away along with sinners, Nor my life with men of bloodshed, 10 In whose hands is a wicked scheme, And whose right hand is full of bribes. 11 But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity; Redeem me, and be gracious to me. 12 My foot stands on a level place; In the congregations I shall bless the LORD.

Testing, 1, 2,3, Testing… How many times have I heard that when setting up a band. When everything is connected and seems complete, you aren’t ready to perform until you test everything. Similarly, in the Christian walk, you can say “I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted the Lord without wavering”, but have you really? The proof is in the next verse, “Examine me, O Lord, and try me…” Testing, Testing… And I think that part of the proof that you doing Ok is in verse 7. When you are testing microphones, the proof that they are working is if you can hear the “Testing, Testing, 1,2,3” in the back of the room. Likewise the proof that you are walking with the Lord in integrity is if people can hear your voiced of thanksgiving in all circumstances. When you declare the wonders of the Lord and extol His glory you show the world that you are following Jesus. Thanksgiving and an attitude of gratitude is a proof of the test. The Lord will examine your heart and test you through various trials and difficulties, but if you can still lift up your voice of thanksgiving and declare His wonders, then you have passed the test.

So, tomorrow is thanksgiving day which is an excellent time to remember to be thankful for the Lord’s goodness, but we should be thankful every day. Let your voice of thanksgiving be heard and let them hear “testing, 1,2, 3, testing” in the back of the room.

Thanksgiving

 Thanksgiving

November 24, 2025

1 Thessalonians 5:14-18

14 We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, bepatient with everyone. 15 See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. 16 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 106:1, 12-13

Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

,,,

12 Then they believed His words; They sang His praise. 13 They quickly forgot His works; They did not wait for His counsel,

Why do we find it so hard to be thankful? We seem to be surrounded by an entitled generation that is not grateful for the blessings that we have received from the Father. Of course this is not a new thing. Psalm 106 is a history of all the good things that the Lord did for the nation of Israel, but then they quickly forgot His works. The psalmist is reminding them to sing His praises and give thanks to the Lord. So we are not so different from the ancient Israelis. The Lord has also done great things for our nation, but we quickly forget and grumble and complain. Even in Paul’s day, the admonition to give thanks  in everything is in the same passage as the instructions on admonishing the unruly. So I suppose it’s just human nature to forget the good things and focus on our problems. That’s why Paul encourages us to pray without ceasing and give thanks in everything.

We set aside one day this week as Thanksgiving day, but we need to remember to give thanks every day. The Lord has done great things for us, but we quickly forget. So remember what the Lord has done and give thanks. Praise His name and rejoice always for that is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus.

Enter His Gates with Thanksgiving

 Enter His Gates

November 17, 2025

Psalm 100:1-5 (NASB95) 1 A Psalm for Thanksgiving. 

Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth. 2 Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before Him withjoyful singing. 3 Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. 4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. 5 For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations.

A good friend reminded me of this psalm this morning. It was a timely reminder because there are some serious issues on our prayer list this morning. There are issues of life and death that we are praying for, so it’s good to remember that we need to give thanks in everything, not just in the good times.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 (NASB95) 

16Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not quench the Spirit;

We don’t understand everything that happens in life. Why is there death and disease and hardship? We can’t know all the purposes in the mind of God, but we do know the heart of God, that He works everything to good for those that love Him. He loves us, even when all seems dark and hopeless. So we give thanks for everything. We don’t understand, but we trust in God and praise Him. It is the only way to enter His gates where we can experience the joy of His salvation. So look to the Lord, even in hard times, and praise Him and thank Him and know that His love surrounds you and will be with you, even as you go through the valley of the shadow of death.

 Psalm 23:4 (NASB95) 

Eventhough I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Poor and Needy- Psalm 40

 Poor and Needy- Psalm 40

May 15, 2025

Our pastor was teaching on Psalm 40 last night. This has always been one of my favorite psalms but he was able to bring out some new thoughts on it. One is the difficulty in translating the original languages into modern English. He was using the New Living Translation, which flows more smoothly with contemporary language, but which can miss some of the subtle meaning of the original Hebrew. A case in point is found in the final verses of the psalm.

Psalm 40:16-17 NLT

16 But may all who search for you

be filled with joy and gladness in you.

May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, “The LORD is great!”

17 As for me, since I am poor ^h6041 and needy ^h0034 , let the Lord keep me in his thoughts.

You are my helper and my savior.

O my God, do not delay.

A comparison with the New American Standard Bible is helpful:

Psalms 40:16-17 NASB

16 Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;

Let those who love Your salvation say continually,

“The LORD be magnified!”

17 Since I am afflicted and needy,

Let the Lord be mindful of me.

You are my help and my deliverer;

Do not delay, O my God.

The difficulty is the use of “poor and needy” in verse 17. King David was never financially poor. Even as a child, he was a shepherd, but the flocks belonged to his father, then as an adult he became king. So in what respects was he “poor and needy”? The NASB is a bit better as it translates this as “afflicted and needy”. The Hebrew words are “ani”and “ebyon”:

h6041. עָנִי ani; from 6031a; poor, afflicted, humble:--

h0034. אֶבְיוֹן ebyon; from 14; in want, needy, poor:--

This is similar to “poor in spirit” used in the beatitudes:

Mt 5:3- blessed are the poor g4434 in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

g4434. πτωχός ptōchos ; adj. from πτώσσω ptōssō (to crouch, cower); (of one who crouches and cowers, hence) beggarly, poor:--

The sense here is that even in the midst of trials and tribulations, be should have a humble attitude and rejoice in the Lord who will deliver you. No matter the problem, our Lord is able to save. We need to say continually “The Lord be magnified”, regardless of the circumstances of life. An attitude of gratitude will help raise us up out of that pit of miry clay (verse 2) and set our feet on the Rock where we can proclaim the Lord’s goodness to all who will hear. Like Paul and Silas singing hymns while in prison, praise and thanksgiving will lift up our spirit and break the chains that bind us. Who knows what that can mean to those around us who hear us praising God in dire circumstances. In the case of Paul and Silas the jailer and all his family got saved. So don’t look down at your circumstances, but look up to the Lord and praise the One who is your help and your deliverer.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving

 Philippians 4:4-6 (NASB95) 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Psalm 7:17 (NASB95)

I will give thanks to the LORD according to His righteousness And will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

Colossians 3:17 (NASB95)

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Revelation 11:17 (NASB95)

saying, “We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign.

In Everything Give Thanks

 In Everything Give Thanks

November 27, 2024

Yesterday we were looking at the passage in 1 Thessalonians where it talks about out encouraging one another. If you read further in chapter 5, you find these verses:

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

16Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Now brace yourself. I’m going to reveal a deep theology truth here. Are you ready? The word translated “everything” here has the Greek meaning…. Everything! … I  know that shocking, right? I know you were hoping there was some hidden meaning that says to be thankful for the good things and to bless God when things are going your way. But nooooo… everything means every-thing, all-things, whatever and whenever. That hardly seems fair does it. Well I’ll let you in on another deep secret… God is not fair. It was not fair for Jesus to have to die for you sins and it’s not fair for you to have to forgive someone 70 times 7 when they haven’t even apologized. God is not fair,  but He is just. It is justice that demands a blood sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins and required us to forgive one another as the Lord has forgiven us. And yes, it is just for us to rejoice even when we don’t feel like it. When we rejoice always and give hanks in everything  we acknowledge that God is good and that His goodness is in everything around us. We may not always see it at first, but if you look hard, and especially look back you will see God’s goodness in everything.

How many times has something happened to you that appeared to be bad but turned out for the best. Did you ever suffer through a broken relationship that helped you to minister to someone else in their time of need and brokenness? There were even stories from 9/11 of people who got caught in traffic or missed a train connection which caused them to be late for work at the twin towers, and that mishap saved their lives when the towers came down. So it may not be fair, and it certainly is not logical, but we are to give thanks in everything. It even says here that it is God’s will that you do so! So tomorrow when you gather with friends and family to celebrate Thanksgiving , consider what you can be thankful for and rejoice. And I haven’t even started on “pray without ceasing”…. Till next time…