Psalm 107:1 | 1 Chronicles 16:8 | Colossians 3:17 | Hebrews 12:28 | Psalm 95:01 | Psalm 9:1 | Psalm 7:17
I will honor him with Thanksgiving!
You may not have noticed it (or maybe you have…), but there are a TON of scriptures about giving thanks to God. Some of them are commands…
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
(Psalm 107:1 NLT)
Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness.
Let the whole world know what he has done.
(1 Chronicles 16:8 NLT)
And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
(Colossians 3:17 NLT)
“Hey you! God is good, so you should thank him!” (That’s a paraphrase.)
Other scriptures are invitations to give thanks. They’re more like, “Hey, why don’t we give it up for God? He definitely deserves it!”
Come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
(Psalm 95:01 NLT)
Finally, some of these give-thanks scriptures are personal resolutions or even declarations.
I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
(Psalm 9:1 NIV)
I will thank the Lord because he is just;
I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.
(Psalm 7:17 NLT)
Certainly, life is not always an easy ride through fragrant fields. Sometimes the road is rough and, frankly, the way stinks.
But we can always find something to thank God for. And no matter how we feel, thanking God is always the right thing to do. He is so Good, and he loves us so much…how could he not deserve more thanks?
This Thanksgiving season, take the opportunity to recognize how good God is, and take the time to purposefully give him your gratitude.
Questions for Group Discussion
- When was the last time you deliberately took some time to give thanks to God? Does this question make you feel guilty or pressured somehow? (If so, take a deep breath and let yourself off the hook.) Why not take literally one minute and do so right now?
- Can we give thanks to God even if we don’t feel thankful? Does it still count then?
- Does God need our gratitude? Does he want it? Why? Does it help him somehow?
- Do we benefit from giving thanks to God? If so, how?
Thank You, Ten: Challenge
Your challenge–should you choose to accept it–is simple:
Find 10 verses in scripture about saying thanks, thanksgiving, or general gratitude. (In addition to the ones listed above.)
The (not-so-) fine print:
- Using a Bible app/website/search engine/blog is perfectly acceptable.
- Multiple versions/translations (NLT, NIV, KJV, etc.) are acceptable.
