Benefits of Being Thankful

We realize originally in this country that the early settlers, stopped to give thanks to God for the blessings that God had given to them, the blessings of a new land, crops, and being able to settle here. And today we find that Thanksgiving Day has pretty well evolved into a football day. They'd eat a lot of desserts and feel okay about it. In other words, there are not too many days that you can just sort of eat and come back and eat again and sort of graze you all day long and especially around the dessert table. And I guess the meal is supposed to, in one sense, be symbolic of the blessings that God has given us. And so therefore, you know, people truly do enjoy the time together. Generally, it's a time when families will get together, if at all possible, to celebrate the day together and be able to enjoy it. Well, brethren, why should we give thanks to God? Now, that may seem like a dumb question. You might say, what do you mean, why should we give thanks? Well, at a human level, we say thank you all the time. Somebody opens the door, thank you. And somebody gives you something, well, thank you. It's a polite way of responding, like you use the term, please. Please do this or please whatever. But what about giving thanks to God? Why do we do it? Are there reasons? Are there lessons that we can learn? Is it just to be polite? Are we being polite with God? And do it for that reason? Why do we do it? Well, the Bible tells us why we should do everything that we do. Why it's good or why it's not good. Why an approach or an attitude is the right direction. And the benefits that come to us. Now, let's notice in Deuteronomy 5.29, Deuteronomy 5, and we will begin here in verse 29, that the Scriptures tell us why the law of God benefits us. When you begin to look at the Bible and you ask yourself the question, why should I be thankful? We should be thankful because, in one sense, all of the benefits that God gives to us. But let's notice here in verse 29, God said, concerning Israel, oh, that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear me and always keep all my commandments. Why? That it may be well with them and with their children forever. It was God's desire that Israel would be blessed that things would go well for them. Now, you and I, likewise, hope that things will go well for us, don't we? Anybody out there hoping that things go bad for you? Yeah, I'm looking forward to a bad week this week. I hope things go bad. No, no, I think we all said, boy, I really hope things go well this week. And that's God's desire. The word well here means to be good, pleasing, joyful, or beneficial. But, you know, we hope that things will happen that will be beneficial to us, pleasant, favorable, make us happy so that we can do what is right.

Let's notice in Colossians chapter 4, Colossians 4 and verse 2.

Chapter 4 verse 2. Continue earnestly in prayer, we're told, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.

So, God tells us that we're to be earnest in our prayers, not half-hearted, not sleepy, but earnest, being vigilant, in other words, being alert, awake, in it with thanksgiving. So, our prayers should be abundantly laced with thanksgiving. The word thanksgiving means exactly what we think it means. It means to express gratitude for benefits or blessings, to be thankful. And so, you and I express our gratitude to God. You know, thanks is often expressed, and this is taken from the Loniada Greek lexicon, in idiomatic ways. For example, in some languages, you may say, may God pay you.

And that means may God bless you. You're not going to get anything from me, but God will pay you. He'll take care of you. And such a phrase might be a standard expression that expresses thanksgiving to God. In other instances, another idiom for thanksgiving is, you have made my heart warm. So, you do something for me, you make me feel good, you make my heart feel warm. And so, you find that thanksgiving is expressed in different languages in a little different way, not just the standard way that we think of. God wants us to cultivate, to develop an attitude of being thankful. Let's notice in 1 Thessalonians 5 verse 18. In 1 Thessalonians 5, 18, it says, And everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. So, God wants us to give thanks to Him always. And as it says here, that for this is the will of God. When you find that something is God's will, in other words, God's will is something that He desires, something that He wishes for. What is it that God is wishing for in His people? Well, it's not just that we occasionally say, oh yeah, I need to thank God for something. What can I thank God for? We begin to try to come up with something. No, God is looking for an attitude of thanksgiving, an approach of thanksgiving, that this is the way we are, and this is His will for us. Let's notice back in 1 Peter chapter 4, 1 Peter the 4th chapter, and we will begin to read here in verse 1.

You find a little bit here about the will of God. It says, Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind. You and I are to have the same mind, same attitude, approach that Christ did when He was here. For He who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that He no longer should live the rest of His time in the flesh for the lust of the men, but for the will of God.

The emphasis here being on the will of God. God wants us, once we are converted, to live the rest of our life, seeking to do His will. We just read that part of His will is that we give thanks in everything. Brethren, even if we go through a trial, do we thank God? Because we know that that trial is producing character in us, right character, helping us to rely upon God, trust Him. Going on, it says, For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles. When we walked in lewdness, lust, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, abominable idolatry. In regard to these, they think it's strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. So, He goes on to say, they will have to give an account.

So, brethren, we must seek constantly to do God's will. I want to take a look at the subject of thanksgiving today for some of the reasons why giving thanks to God is important. Number one, why it's important to God, and also why it's important to us, because it's a two-edged sword. God wants us, as part of His will, to express thanksgiving, to be thankful.

It shows our attitude towards God. It displays an attitude. It displays an approach. But also, it benefits us, as we will see. And there are some major benefits. So, let's take a look at some of these, and we will go through these.

Number one, giving thanks to God sharpens our perspective.

Giving thanks to God sharpens our perspective. You know, humanly speaking, humans, and I'm including myself and all of us in that, we have a tendency to overlook positive and to focus on the negative. You ever find yourself doing that, where you can't see the positive because of all the negatives? An example would be maybe a man who has no shoes, compared to a man who has no feet. See, the perspective is different, isn't it? No feet, no shoes. Feet, no shoes. There's a difference. And so, we may think, and I know that sometimes we can think, well, God has promised that He's going to bless me. I've been in the church for 30 years. I don't have a mansion on the hill yet. I don't have six figures in the bank account. I'm not making $200,000 a year. I'm not one of the super-richs yet. You can go on and on, but what do we have? Thanksgiving, being thankful, comes from understanding the benefits that God gives to us. God has given to us all kinds of good gifts. I could start around the room. I might even do this. I could start over here with Jacob, and I could ask Jacob, what do you consider as a blessing? And we could just move back and forth. I won't do that, but we could do that. Poor Tony over here would have to really be thinking about the time we get back around to him. But, we need to stop and we need to think and put things in perspective. Seven billion people on earth today. How many of them live in a home? How many of them live in a decent home? How many people have clothes to wear? Eat every day. And maybe we're not eating filet mignon every day, but we eat. And I'll guarantee you there are places on earth where if you get one meal a day, you're happy. And that's not a big meal. Look at all of the pictures that we've seen in the past, the people starving in places like Ethiopia, where fighting is going on. And it just tugs at your heartstrings when you see what's occurring. And so, we need to keep things in perspective. Let's notice Paul's example. Paul was able to do this in chapter 4, the book of Philippians, beginning in verse 11. Philippians 4 and verse 11. He says, Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am to be content.

Now, is that something that we've learned? Whatever state you're in, you've learned to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Paul had the perspective of whatever circumstances he encountered, whether he was hungry or blessed and had superabundance, that he learned to thank God, to be content with that.

I think what he's driving at and what we need to understand doesn't matter if we are having problems or we don't have problems. Because we have problems, has God left us? And the answer is no, he hasn't. Go back to the book of Hebrews 11.

We won't go there today, but just Hebrews 11, the faith chapter. There are those who had faith and what happened. God blessed them. God delivered them. He intervened on their behalf. But what about those who had faith and God allowed them to be martyred, to go off and live in the desert? You read the end of chapter 11, and you find that these people had just as much faith as the others, but God tested them in a different way. God knows exactly how to test each one of us, and it's not always in the same way. And so, brethren, we need to learn to be content and have the right perspective of things and realize what this world is like. Let's back up here to verse 6. Verse 6 of this chapter, Philippians 4, says, Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God. You let him know what you need. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and mind through Christ Jesus. And finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are good, report. If there's any virtue, if there's anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things.

So, we could rewrite this. Finally, brethren, whatever things are bad, whatever things are terrible, whatever things are health problems, whatever things are whatever. Think on these. That's not what it says. It says, keep your perspective. You'll think on the blessings that God gives to us. So, brethren, when we are thankful, it helps us to give thanks to God and to sharpen our perspective. Now, a second thing that it does, thanking God helps us to remember and appreciate our blessings and to never forget them or take them for granted. It helps us to remember and appreciate our blessings. Because when you're thanking God, you get down and you thank God for what He's done for you during the day or the week and how He's blessed you. It's not something you're going to forget, and it is not something you're going to take for granted. Psalm 103, beginning of verse 1, Psalm 103, and verse 1.

David in the Psalms, and I think one reason why David was a man after God's own heart, was that this was the attitude that David had. You'll find constantly the Psalmist talking about how we are to thank God. Beginning in verse 1, 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. So again, you and I need to concentrate on the benefits that God gives us. What benefit is it to be a Christian today in this society? Are there benefits? What benefit is it to be a part of the true church? To be a part of the ones called out now, ahead of time?

So he says, Forget not all of his benefits. Then he begins to enumerate what some of these are. Who forgives all of your iniquities. What a benefit to have all of your past sins forgiven by God. And to know that when you stumble in the future, that if you truly go to God with sincere repentance, that God will forgive you. Who heals all your diseases. Who redeems your life from destruction. Who crowns you with loving kindness. Tender mercies. Who satisfies your mouth with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle. The Lord executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. He makes known his ways to Moses and his acts to the children of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, nor will he keep his anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins. That's something we should all be thankful for. Because we know if God had dealt with us according to our sins, we're all greasy spots. But God has been merciful to us. Nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his mercy towards those who fear him. And as far as the east is from the west, so far as he removed our transgressions from us. And as a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear him. He knows our frame. He remembers that we are dust. So, brethren, we've been blessed in so many ways. And as you read through here, it is a blessing to know that God is your Father. To know that He treats us just like we treat our own children. That He has pity upon us. Think about the ways that you have been blessed when it comes to knowing God's truth, his way of life. What about family life? Would you and I know the laws of God governing marriage if God had not revealed those to us? We know that there are a lot of people who keep certain principles concerning marriage and have good marriages. They do it out of ignorance. In many cases, they don't go and say, well, now I'm going to do this, this, and that. It's just maybe part of their nature. But you and I have the whole Bible. We have the Scriptures. We can look in the Bible. We can see how a man is supposed to treat his wife, how a woman is supposed to respond to her husband. We've been blessed when it comes to the Church to have a local congregation. You know how many centuries the people of God have worshiped God and many of them had no Church? What Church did Abraham attend? Isaac, Jacob, Noah. They didn't. They didn't have them.

During what's called the Dark Ages, the Middle Ages, when the Church was basically scattered and hiding in the mountains, many people did not have the opportunity to attend Church. Here, we have been blessed for decade after decade after decade with God's blessing, having churches where we can meet in peace, go to the feast. That may come to an end one of these days. If it does, we're going to thank God for Succus. Are we going to look in the Bible and realize that God said these days are coming and we need to be prepared for them. We need to take advantage today when God gives us, while it is today, His blessings. When things begin to happen, then we can also take a look at that. Marriage, our home, things like food, clothing, and shelter, these are all blessings that come from God. It would be good to just list our blessings. I would encourage you to talk among yourselves, talk with your mate, children, if you have them, and list the blessings so that we can all have the right perspective.

Not just on Thanksgiving. I think what happens one day a year, people observe Thanksgiving. Maybe there's some mention of blessings. Then, well, that's put aside. We'll wait until Thanksgiving comes around again next year. Then they drag it back out and take a look at it.

We need to thank God. Another thing, a third point that being thankful does for us. Thankfulness is an antidote for fear, worry, doubt, and other damaging emotional reactions. It's an antidote for fear, worry, doubt, and other damaging emotions. We're told back here in Matthew 6, beginning in verse 25.

Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will put on it. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Well, I would say that we are all good worriers, aren't we? When we don't have enough, we start worrying. He says, look at the birds of the air, for neither they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Or you have not much more value than they.

Even though you might like, you know, got a bird feeder outside our house, and the cardinals come up, and you know, occasionally a bluebird, and all finches, and different types of birds. God says that they may be nice, and they're beautiful, but aren't you of much more value than that bird? Because you are a son or daughter of God. Which of you, by worrying, can add one cubic to his stature? You know, I'm going to grow, and so you worry about it.

So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow, neither toil nor spin. And yet I say to you that not even Solomon, all of his glory, was not arrayed like one of these. Have God so clothed the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown in the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore, worry a lot.

No, it doesn't say that. It says, don't worry. Say, what shall we eat? What shall we drink? What shall we wear? For after all these things the Gentiles seek. So what should we be seeking? Seek you first, the kingdom of God, and his righteousness. And all these things will, what? Be added. God will add them. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Now, God doesn't say we shouldn't plan for the future. He's not saying that. But he's saying we should not be, and I think the meaning of the word is overly anxious, where you just sort of consumes us. That's not the way that God wants us to be. In Psalm 92, if you'll notice back here in Psalm again, Psalm 92, verse 1, says, a Psalm, a song for the Sabbath day. So this is a Psalm that was for the Sabbath day. It is good to give thanks to the Lord. See, when David gets up and leads songs, we can give thanks to God. We can praise him. We can worship him. And to sing praises to your name, almost high. To declare your loving kindness in the morning, and your faithfulness every night. In verse 5, O Lord, how great are your works, and your thoughts are very deep. So it's good for us to give thanks to God to praise him. And one way that we can do that is by singing. It's good to memorize a hymn or two, if you're going around to sing those. And just throughout the day, you thank God, or you are to praise him.

Psalm Colossians 3, verse 15. Colossians 3, verse 15.

It says, Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful again. You and I are to be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord. For whatever you do in word or in deed, do all in the name of our Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. So again, we find singing, you're just quoting scriptures. There are many times at night, if I can't sleep, that I go back and I start going through the 23rd Psalm, go through Genesis 1, the Lord's Prayer, whatever you can think of, and just start meditating and reflecting on those. Well, the same thing can happen with singing. We can sing, we can praise God that way and express our thanksgiving. Okay, another reason for thanksgiving. Expressing gratitude to God reminds us of who we are and what God is. It helps us to remember who we are and what God is. Because we need to be reminded who we are. We're dust. We're human. We're of this earth. And without God, we're nothing. Back in Psalm 106, let's notice in verse 1, Praise the Lord! O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, and his mercy endures forever. So we thank God for his goodness, for his mercy.

You can go through and read some of these chapters that begin because many of them begin this way. Psalm 107 in verse 1, O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, and his mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he is redeemed from the hand of the enemy. You and I have been redeemed from the hand of Satan the devil and this world. Dropping down to verse 8, O that men would give thanks to the Lord for his goodness, and all of his wonderful works to the children of men, for he satisfies the longing soul. And he fills the hungry soul with goodness.

And so we are to praise God for his wonderful works that he does. Verse 15, O that men would give thanks to the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men. God says he calls us the sun to rise and the rain to come on the good and the bad.

When God rains, he doesn't normally just rain over your property. He rains in a general area, and other people are benefited by it. So God's goodness is extended to all.

I've got a ladybug here.

I think I'll put him up there. He's crawling in my Bible. Verse 22, or she is, I'm not sure if it's a ladybug.

Let them sacrifice as sacrifices of thanksgiving and declare his works with rejoicing.

Then verse 43, whoever is wise will observe these things, and he will understand the loving kindness of God. So, brethren, when we begin to think about where blessings come from, benefits come from, they come directly from God, and that he blesses us, and we realize who we are and our limitations, then offering up thanksgiving helps us to put ourselves into perspective. It helps us to have more of an attitude and an approach of humility.

Another reason for thanksgiving is giving thanks builds motivation for calling on God in time of need.

Giving thanks builds motivation in us for calling on God in times of need. Let's go back to Psalm 50. Psalm chapter 50, and we'll begin here in verse 14.

It says, Offer to God thanksgiving and pay your vows to the Most High. Call upon me in the days of trouble, and I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me. How many times have I had a conversation with some of you, members of the Church, down through the years, where we got to talking about your day of trouble, whatever the difficulty you were going through. Maybe it was a health problem, financial problem, a marital problem, whatever, and we discussed it. Then you get the big smile on his face, and he begins to describe how God intervened and helped him, or how God healed someone. Almost every time I've spoken on the topic of healing and give examples of how God heals people, I have others in the congregation who come up and talk about, well, I remember when God intervened on my behalf, to heal me.

So we discuss those things. I think that it reminds us that you and I go through troubles, and life is not trouble-free. You're not baptized, and God pronounces all at once, big blessings, it's a big bubble around you, puts 10,000 angels there, nobody can get near you, and from that day forth you are blessed. Your wealth increases to your millionaire, you have four or five different cars, never have a health problem, not a worry in the world.

I don't know who that happens to, because it doesn't happen to most of us. But whenever we do have trouble, if we thank God and we go back and we remember what God has done for us in the past, see this is what we need to remember. If we can go back and reiterate over and over again, well, God, I know that, you know, I first came to the church, you healed my daughter, or, you know, I remember when I was about to lose this, and you intervened on my behalf. I didn't think we were going to have food to eat, you intervened on our behalf.

We never know when God will intervene on our behalf. So, you know, there are many times that God does, and so when we go through a trial, we go to God and say, Father, I know you've done it before, and so you thank God for the times that he's done it. And I'm looking to you now to show me the way, how you're going to help me or deliver me in this difficulty.

And so, it gives us the motivation to call upon God in our times of need. Okay, another reason for thanksgiving. Thanksgiving helps to motivate us to obey God, helps to motivate us to obey God to do what is right. Let's notice in Psalm 105, beginning in verse 1. I know a lot of these overlap, but they have really an individual thrust to them. Beginning in verse 1, O give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people, sing to him, sing psalms to him, talk of his wondrous works, glory in his holy name, let the hearts of those who rejoice, who seek the Lord, seek the Lord in his strength, seek his face evermore.

Remember his marvelous works which he has done, his wonders and the judgments of his mouth. O seed of Abraham, his servants, who chewed children to Jacob, his chosen one. And so, brethren, we are the chosen ones of God today. And so, we give thanks to God, we seek him. Notice verse 42. For he remembers his holy promise. Talking here about how God delivered Israel out of Egypt, he remembered his holy promise and Abraham his servant. He brought out the people with joy, his chosen ones with gladness, and he gave them the land of the Gentiles and then inherited the labor of the nations.

That they might observe his statutes and keep his law. The expository Bible commentary, commenting on this particular chapter, especially verses 42 through 45, has this to say, the emphasis throughout the psalm lies on God's goodness, on his promise, protection, providence, and presence. Keeping the perception of the Lord is, therefore, an expression of joyful gratitude for all the benefits that God has provided for his people. So, not only things that happen to us, but it's good to go back through the scriptures and be reminded of what God has done on the behalf of his people.

So, can you take Hebrews 11 as an outline, so to speak, and go back and think of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah? You just go on, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and you see the men of God, David. All of these men are listed in different examples of their faith and their trust in God. So, you and I can reflect on, meditate on all of those. So, thanksgiving helps to motivate us to obey God. Another reason is giving thanks establishes an atmosphere conducive to edification.

What is edification? It means to build others up. How can you build other people up if you're always down in the mouth? Somebody sees you and they say, what's the matter? Oh, woe is me. And you got the woe is me's. And so, you know, you're trying to edify them. Well, you can't edify somebody in that manner. Ephesians chapter 5. Paul wrote quite a bit about edification in Ephesians 5 and verse 3.

Notice, but fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints. These things that are very obviously wrong, neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting. These are sometimes things that we might do if we're not careful, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. So you and I should give thanks to God. So if we're going to edify somebody, it's not through coarse jestering, or foolish talking, or filthiness, you know, this type of thing, but it's through giving thanks to God. So we want to build others up. When you come to services, you know, this is an excellent time. You see somebody to walk up and encourage them, to build them up, tell them how much you appreciate them, how much you know, how they make your day. When you see them on the Sabbath, what a blessing it is to have them here in the local congregation. I don't know if we use language like that, but we should, because, you know, we're a family. What happens when you haven't seen your family in a long time? Maybe a son, or a daughter, or your parents, or whoever it might be. Maybe it's been a year or two or three, and you haven't seen them. You say, oh, it's good to see you. No! You come up, you grab them, you hug them. Boy, it's good to see you. I've missed you. Sure love you, and you're very expressive in how you express yourself. Well, the same should be true here, to build one another up. When we all walk away from Sabbath services, we should walk away with sort of a glow and a feeling, you know, that you've been inspired, you've been uplifted by others. Colossians 3, verse 15 again. We read this earlier, but I think it ties in with it.

Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which you were called in one body. Be thankful. And let the Word of God dwell in you richly in wisdom, in teaching, and in admonishing one another. So we should admonish one another and teach and encourage in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord in whatever you do in word or in deed. By what you say, by what you do, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. So this is the attitude that we should have.

Okay, another reason for thanksgiving. Being thankful is important to setting the right example. Being thankful is important for us so that we can set the right example. Go back here to Philippians chapter 2 and verse 14. Philippians 2.14.

Do all things without complaining and disputing.

Guess what? We are a society of grumblers, complainers, as far as society is concerned. People complain all the time about things, and they grumble and they gripe and whatever it might be.

That's not what we want to be noted for. You don't want to see somebody coming and say, I'm going to duck away because he's always complaining about something. He's always grumbling. Are there any people you ever talk to and you know right off the bat you're going to get this sob story from them? They're always telling you how bad things are for them instead of trying to lift you up. Well, as we read here, do all things without complaining and disputing. That you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among whom you shine as lights in the world. This is not easy to be this way, is it? Because we live in a crooked world, holding fast the word of life so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. So Paul is saying that he as a minister would rejoice over them and in them because of their attitude and their approach. Then one last reason why thanksgiving is good to God. God appreciates and enjoys being thanked. That's not vanity. God is the creator of everything, the giver of every good and perfect gift. Shouldn't we and shouldn't the angels express their gratitude and their thanksgiving to God? Notice Revelation chapter 4. Revelation the fourth chapter, beginning in verse 1. It describes the things that John saw. He said, These things I looked, and behold the door standing open in heaven.

God gave him a vision of what it was like in the very throne room of God in heaven. He saw a throne, God sitting on the throne. Verse 3, who was set there was like a jasper and a sardus stone in appearance. There was a rainbow around the throne in appearance like an emerald. Twenty-four elders sitting there. Voices and lights and fire and spirits and all kinds of activity going on. Now, verse 6, before the throne there was a sea of glass like crystal. In the midst of the throne and around about the throne were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. Then it describes them. These are carobs. Then there were seraphs. Verse 8, four living creatures each having six wings.

Were full of eyes round and within, and do not rest day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, who is, and is to come. Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who set on the throne, who lives forever and ever, and the twenty and four elders fall down before him that set on the throne and worship him. Verse 11, they say, You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created. So here we have God's will being expressed here and giving glory and honor.

The angels praise God constantly for His goodness, for His love, for His plan, for His purpose. They sing to God. They praise Him all the time. Notice what we're supposed to do. In Hebrews 13 and verse 15, Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 15, Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God. So you and I are to offer up a sacrifice of praise to God. That is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. In the Old Testament, they offered up animals, sacrifices, meal offerings, thanksgiving offerings, and so on. But you and I offer up a sacrifice of praise to God. But do not forget to do good and to share, for which such sacrifices God is well pleased. So rather than we offer up the sacrifice of praise to God, we need to take time to meditate and to reflect on our blessings. Thanksgiving is a good time to do that. I'm not negating that, but this is something that we should be doing on a constant basis before God to thank Him for all of the blessings. Giving thanks is the best we can offer to God. We give thanks to Him, and God appreciates that. We can and we should offer God thanks, both in words and in deed. We show by our actions how we live, how thankful we are for God, for what He's given us, and then how we express it. Thanksgiving Day itself is a day, a good time to reflect on blessings, giving thanks to God for all of the above reasons that I have covered.

I'm sure that there are a whole lot more that I haven't touched upon. So it is a topic that you might want to reflect on this week as far as Thanksgiving, and make sure that we in our prayers, in our actions, in our lives show God how much we are thankful.