Not been thankful is one of the worst of all sins. Multitudes enjoy the blessing of the LOVE of God and a land of freedom—and never even say “Thank you” to God. How this lack of appreciation grieves our heavenly Father!
Habakkuk 3:17-18 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
Beloved, one unique thing saints in Bible days do, that endear them to God was wholehearted thanksgiving at all seasons. When they lived in plenty they praised God joyfully. When they were in abject poverty and under painful afflictions, they praised Him happily and delightfully.
I am persuaded that, this is your lifestyle too, but if not, let it be henceforth. God will abound His grace in your life to do so in Jesus name.
THIS IS BECAUSE, THE ONLY ONE MAJOR GOOD THING, YOU CAN EVER DO TO GO IS TO THANK HIM AT ALL TIMES.
Psalms 92:1-4. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord,and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night, Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound. For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.
Psalms 34:1-4. I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
Beloved, thanksgiving makes you to appreciate the innumerable undeserved benefits you are
daily loaded from God.
Psalms 68:19. Blessed be the Lord,who daily loadeth us with benefits,even the God of our salvation. Selah.
Psalms 103:1-2. 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:
Beloved, always remember these two all important lessons.
1. When you praise God, He blesses and multiplies you.
Psalms 67:5-7 Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.
2. When you murmur and complain and you don’t praise Him, it exposes you to, unimaginable satanic attacks and withdrawal of His blessings. Don’t ever forget.
Numbers 11:1. And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.
Deuteronomy 28:47-48. Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things; Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the Lord shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.
Joel 1:12. The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field, are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men.
1 Corinthians 10:10. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
No wonder when things turned upside down in the days of Habakkuk, he resorted to rejoicing wholeheartedly. Like Habakkuk, whatever happens around you, thankfulness and praise-fullness are you best option. Don’t ever forget.
Habakkuk 3:17-18 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
Beloved, remember it is not only when things are going smoothly alone, that we thank God. We thank Him, when things are very tough and difficult . That was what made the saints in Bible day, very very dear to God.. See several scriptures to affirm this.
Romans 5:3-5. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Job 13:15: Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.
James 1:2-4. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
1 Peter 1:6-8. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
1 Peter 4:12 -13. Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
Psalms 46:1-5. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.
Interestingly, when they praised God in difficult times, He turned around to bless them, give them victory and promote them. This was the experience of king Jehoshaphat and Habakkuk, it shall be yours too, if you do same. See it.
2 Chronicles 20:22-24 And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another. And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.
Habakkuk 3:19 The Lord God is my strength,and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.
So, no matter what happens around you, this God of heaven, the very Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, shall be your God.
Psalms 48:14. For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.
Romans 8:35-39. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Beloved, continue to praise God at all times, irrespective of what you are going through. Remember, when you are thankful, God makes you thank full. In the same token, when you are praiseful God makes you praise full.
Dearly beloved, there was a mystery that revolves around our Lord, during His earthly ministry. He clearly understood the mystery of thanksgiving and He used it to the fullest.
There was no time in His life that, He was sad. Even when, He was to face the cross. He thanked God. He used the mystery of thanksgiving to multiply bread twice to feed five and seven thousand people. He used same to raise the stinking and four days old dead Lazarus.
See them.
Matthew 15:36-38. And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full. And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children.
John 6:5-13. When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.
John 11:41-44. Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
Matthew 26:27-28. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Interestingly, Bible days believers plunged themselves into this mystery too and did exploits.
Acts 16:25-26. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.
You too must begin to do exploits like them, using the weapon of praise. Remember the scriptures compels you to thank God at all times. See them.
1 Corinthians 10:31: Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God
1 Corinthians 15:57. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 2:14. Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.
2 Corinthians 9:15. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
Ephesians 5:20. Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
Colossians 1:3. We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
Colossians 1:12-14. Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Colossians 3:17. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
1 Thessalonians 1:2. We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;
1 Thessalonians 5:18. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Hebrews 13:15. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
As you give God thanks and praise, He will make you thank full and praise full in Jesus name.
JESUS’S UNIMAGINABLE EXPLOITS THROUGH THANKFUL LIFESTYLE. FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE.
Friend, the Bible reveals to believers of all ages and you in particular, that thanksgiving is not optional, it is mandatory.
YOU ARE BOUND TO THANK GOD AT ALL TIMES, IRRESPECTIVE OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING YOU. See what the scriptures says.
2 Thessalonians 1:3: We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;
2 Thessalonians 2:13. But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
Praise pleases God. Enoch pleased Him and was translated or raptured. Those that commit themselves to praising God and pleasing Him in every areas of their lives in implicit obedience , shall be part of the dawning rapture.
Hebrews 11:5. By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
Psalms 69:30-31. I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.
Unfortunately, the Worldling and nominal churchgoers shall be left out. They shall not be part of this glorious event, that is set to take place sooner, than you think. See reasons why this shall be the experience of these group of people.
1. Their own thanksgiving is done to the devil and not God.
Habakkuk 1:15 -16. They take up all of them with the angle, they catch them in their net, and gather them in their drag: therefore they rejoice and are glad. Therefore they sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag; because by them their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous.
2. They were unthankful to God.
Romans 1:21. Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
2 Timothy 3:1-2. This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
But then for all eternity, the raptured saints according to the scriptures shall be thanking and worshiping God . See this affirmed severally in the book of revelations. The scriptures used the term TWENTY FOUR ELDERS to describe all the raptured saints.
Revelation 4:9-11 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Revelation 11:15-17. And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
Revelation 14:7: Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
Revelation 15:4: Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.
So if thanking and worshipping God shall be all that faithful believers like you globally shall be doing after the rapture for all eternity. Then you better emulate this great virtue in the lifestyle of Habakkuk and rejoice before Him at all seasons henceforth. The grace of God shall avail for you in Jesus name.
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