Praise And Thanksgiving
by Micky Galloway
Psalms 19:1-3, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language; their voice is not heard.”
Psalms 138:1, “I will give thee thanks with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praises unto thee.”
Psalms 145:1, 3, “I will extol thee, my God, O King; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever … Great is Jehovah, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.”
Psalms 148:1-14, “Praise ye Jehovah. Praise ye Jehovah from the heavens: praise him in the heights. Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his host. Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light. Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that are above the heavens. Let them praise the name of Jehovah; for he commanded, and they were created. He hath also established them for ever and ever: He hath made a decree which shall not pass away. Praise Jehovah from the earth, ye sea-monsters, and all deeps. Fire and hail, snow and vapor; Stormy wind, fulfilling his word; Mountains and all hills; fruitful trees and all cedars; Beasts and all cattle; creeping things and flying birds; Kings of the earth and all peoples; princes and all judges of the earth; Both young men and virgins; old men and children: Let them praise the name of Jehovah; for his name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and the heavens. And he hath lifted up the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye Jehovah.”
Psalms 150:6, “Let everything that hath breath praise Jehovah. Praise ye Jehovah.”
In such magnificent expressions as these, the Psalmist praised his Creator and gave thanks with beauty of language that lifts our spirits and inspires us to echo his words as we seek to praise the God of heaven. In fact, many of the songs we sing are based on the words of these passages.
From the New Testament writers, we learn that praising God is to be a part of our lives as Christians. The apostle Peter said, “But ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for (God’s) own possession, that ye may show forth the excellencies (praises KJV) of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (I Peter 2:9). “[I]f any man speaketh, (speaking) as it were oracles of God; if any man ministereth, (ministering) as of the strength which God supplieth: that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, whose is the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen” (I Peter 4:11). The Hebrew writer says, “Through him then let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which make confession to his name” (Hebrews 13:15). Luke tells that the first Christians praised God daily, “And day by day, continuing stedfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to them day by day those that were saved” (Acts 2:46-47). Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “For all things (are) for your sakes, that the grace, being multiplied through the many, may cause the thanksgiving to abound unto the glory of God” (II Corinthians 4:15), “And he that supplieth seed to the sower and bread for food, shall supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the fruits of your righteousness: ye being enriched in everything unto all liberality, which worketh through us thanksgiving to God” (II Corinthians 9:10-11). To the Philippians he wrote from a Roman prison, “In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God” (Philippians 4:6). Likewise, from a Roman prison Paul wrote to the Colossians, “As therefore ye received Christ Jesus the Lord, (so) walk in him, rooted and builded up in him, and established in your faith, even as ye were taught, abounding in thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6-7). Praise and thanksgiving then, must be a part of our service to God.
Such devotion ultimately finds expression in the praise of Deity by means of the sacrifice of tongues and lips. When God’s children, redeemed by the blood of the spotless Lamb of God, employ the high and holy priesthood of heaven’s greatest gift to earth, they do so from true hearts when they “offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips which make confession to his name” (Hebrews 13:15). It is this sentiment springing up within the believer’s heart which causes him with the Psalmist to exclaim, “Bless Jehovah, O my soul; and all that is within me, (bless) his holy name.” (Psalms 103:1).
One cannot reflect seriously on the Bible without an awareness that praising God and giving thanks play a prominent role in both the Old and New Testaments. Both Testaments abound with man’s recognition of God’s worthiness. Such English expressions as “Praise,” “Give thanks,” “Thanksgiving,” “Sing praise,” “Shout with joy,” “Glorify,” “Honor,” and “Hallelujah” are expressions of tribute to Jehovah from both men and angels. In the book of Psalms alone, the word “Praise” occurs 131 times (ASV). In the book of Revelation, we find many such expressions by both man and heavenly hosts. Consider these: “[A]nd the four living creatures, having each one of them six wings, are full of eyes round about and within: and they have no rest day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, (is) the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come” (Revelation 4:8). Again, “the four and twenty elders shall fall down before him that sitteth on the throne, and shall worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and shall cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Worthy art thou, our Lord and our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power: for thou didst create all things, and because of thy will they were, and were created.” (Revelation 4:10-11). Yet again, “And all the angels were standing round about the throne, and (about) the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, (be) unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.” (Revelation 7:11-12).
In the context of praising God, there is an understood reverence for the eternally self-existing God who has manifested His creative power over the physical universe. He has made known His spiritual character in His spoken and written word. He has demonstrated His interest in and love for sinful mankind in His oral and written communication through the person, teachings, and works of His Son, Jesus Christ. Praise and thanksgiving to God, involves my personal recognition of what He has done for the benefit of mankind.
And while we are praising God for the great things, He has done for us, let us be thankful for the relationships we have “in Christ.” Let us be thankful for our brethren! It is not an accident that in nearly every epistle the apostle Paul wrote, he expressed thankfulness for his brethren. Read such expressions of thanks for yourself (Romans 1:8; I Corinthians 1:4; Ephesians 1:15ff; Philippians 1:3; Colossians 1:3ff; I Thessalonians 1:2; 2:13; II Thessalonians 1:3; 2:13; II Timothy 1:3; Philemon 4). The multitude of them is impressive.
In a world where selfishness and greed have made it cold and dark, Christians can yet kindle the fire of gratitude and light the lamp of thanksgiving so that warmth and light will again prevail. A sincere “thank you” costs so little, takes such little time to say, but means so much. Let us thank God for every wonderful gift of His love. Let us thank others for all that they have done and are doing for us. Indeed, we are blessed! Let us truly be thankful!