Thanksgiving is an act of appreciation
Thanksgiving is an act of acknowledgement
Thanksgiving is an act of gratitude
Psalm 107:20-22 He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. Oh, that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and his wonderful works to the children of men! And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.
How do you thank God?
1. Expression of thanks.
Luke 10:21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight. Like 17:16-17.
Jesus showed an expression of thanks from the heart. The expression of Christ shows that what He said came from His heart.
2. By worship
Mathew 14:32-33 And when they came into the ship, the wind ceased. Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
Luke 5:8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
Worship is a show of reverence for God. We thank God with sincere reverence. God is always touched by this.
3. By praising
Act 3:1-8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
The lame man uses all his body in praising God. When we praise God by singing, shouting, dancing, and making melody God is moved.
4. By giving.
Hannah gave Samuel to God in 1 Samuel 1:27-28, Solomon gave a thousand offerings.
1 King 3:4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.
Your giving to Him is a show of sacrifice to express thanks. It shows that it is not a lips thank but a thank that took something off you.
Let us thank God today in a manner that God will be pleased with. Cain offered a Thanksgiving that did not please God. Note that it is not all Thanksgiving that pleases God.
A Thanksgiving from a wrong heart will not please God even if all the above-listed way of thanking God is observed.
Genesis 4:4-5 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
It was not the offering of Cain that God rejected but his person. If the person giving the Thanksgiving is wrong then the offering will be wrong. From the scripture Genesis 4:5 God did not have respect first for Cain and then his offering.
When we go to offer Thanksgiving to God let us go with the right heart, to be acceptable to God.
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