why give thanks?

Throughout the Bible, we find numerous encouragements to:
• Remember the day in which you came out (Ex. 13:3)
• Remember the LORD who empowers (Deut. 8:18)
• Remember the LORD and His trustworthiness (Ps. 20:7)
• Remember the LORD and His tender mercies (Ps. 25:6)
• Remember the LORD and His works of old (Ps. 77:11)
• Give thanks to the LORD for His goodness (I Chr. 16:34)
• Give thanks to the LORD for His holiness (Ps. 97:12)
• Give thanks to the LORD for His mercy (Ps. 136:3)
• Give thanks to the LORD for the victories (I Cor. 15:57)

Psalm 100 says, ‘Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.’

Yet, God doesn’t tell us this because He is on some type of ego trip.
He knows how wonderful He is.

He tells us this for OUR benefit.

He desires for us to take time EVERY day to acknowledge and appreciate Him –
He does this for our sake, not His.

He isn’t needy for attention.
He has angels and saints in heaven who praise Him continually, without fail, for all eternity.

He is also not interested in a simple game of ‘Simon Says’ –
He takes no pleasure in those who blindly comply –
Is it faith to be convinced that one will not be heard without using a formula approach?

The truth is this –
He has been listening to us, watching over us and addressing those things that concern us, long before we ever thought about Him.
The cross and Jesus’ sacrifice is evidence of that.

No, He tells us to enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise because He knows something we don’t

When we take time to appreciate Him daily, to reflect on who He is and on all He has ALREADY done, we –without fail – come to this understanding:
He is the same God who was with us and worked for us yesterday
He is the same God who walks beside us and works in us today
He is the same God who goes before us, making every crooked place straight tomorrow

Praise and Thanksgiving – recalling WHO HE IS and what HE HAS ALREADY DONE strengthens and increases our faith.

And without faith, it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God or to receive from God.

Hallelujah!