Shout For Joy To The Lord!

Worshipping God releases the blessings of joy, peace, hope, etc., in our lives! No wonder the Bible teaches -– Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God! It is He who made us, and we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations [Psalm 95:2-3, Psalm 100: 1-5, Psalm 107:1, Psalm 139:13-18; Ephesians 5:20 ; 2 Corinthians 9:15].

Oh, I tell you, we have so much to thank God for! Our hearts should overflow with thankfulness as expressed by the psalmist: 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: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s [Psalm 103:1-5, KJV].

In His Presence….!

Oh, I say! And I say it again -–enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. For God’s blessings to us are innumerable. Daily, moment by moment, we receive physical and spiritual blessings. Therefore, we owe to God this expression of gratefulness called -–thanksgiving. But you say – “You just don’t know what I’ve been through or what I’m going through”; No, I don’t, but what I do know is that we serve a faithful God who is more powerful and can sustain us and redeem the situation, ultimately for His glory and our good –if we will allow Him to [Romans 5:3–5, Romans 8:28; James 1:2–4; 12; 2 Corinthians 12:9].

Imagine suffering like Job and still, have the audacity and boldness to worship God. This is the level of thankfulness that we all need to develop. The Bible does not just show us the importance and benefits of thankfulness, God actually COMMANDS us to be thankful. In [1 Thessalonians 5:18, NKJV] it tells us: “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ for you.”

Always Rejoice!

Regardless of our circumstances, the Bible admonishes us to always rejoice! Rejoicing in the Lord will enable us to focus more on God and less on our problems. The Bible teaches–” Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” [Philippians 4:4–7, ESV]. Additionally, the Bible says, “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” [Romans 5:3-5, KJV].

Hear it of David: I give You thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing Your praise; I bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness, for You have exalted above all things Your name and Your word. On the day I called, You answered me; my strength of soul You increased [Psalm 138: 1-3, ESV].

Thankfulness Always Works!

Our response to this great pursuit of love should be thankfulness. Whenever you give thanks to God, despite the most difficult circumstances, the enemy loses a big battle in your life. When you give thanks in the midst of difficulty, you bring pleasure to God’s heart. There are no exceptions to the rule. Let me make this very clear: always give thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance [James 1:2-3, NIV]. That is what the Bible calls a “sacrifice of praise” [Hebrews 13:15, KJV], and it is the very thing we must do in order to see God’s will accomplished in our lives. This is how we move into higher realms of faith.

Thankfulness is the key to your life -– the key that turns your situation around because it changes you, your outlook, and your attitude. Remember what the Bible says, Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me [Psalm 138:7, NIV]. The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me; Your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of Your hands [Psalm 138:8, ESV].

Oh, I tell you, we have so many reasons to thank God, and yet it is a far too rare practice for many. Complaining and grumbling come all too easily for us. Rather than looking at what is lacking in our lives, may we learn to thank God in everything, realizing that God owes us nothing, and yet has graciously given us all things in Jesus Christ [Romans 8:31–32; Ephesians 1:3–14; 2 Peter 1:3].

Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the Most High. [Psalms 50:14, KJV]

“Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” [1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18, NIV]

Make a Decision to Praise God, Always!

I have made up my mind, every time I get a chance, every time I get an opportunity, to say thank you unto God! I am going to open my mouth-–I am going to raise my hands -–and I am going to tell God, “thank you!” Is there anybody that just wants to tell Jesus thank you?

• If I were Chinese, I would say O-dea.
• If I were Japanese, I would say do-mo-or-re-got-toe.
• If I were Italian, I would say grazie.
• If I were Spanish, I would say mucho gracias.
• If I were French, I would say merci beaucoup.
• If I were Ghanaian, I would say medaase.
• If I were Liberian, I would say ea-sha-pun-po.
• If I were Algerian, I would say mo-two-pay.
• If I were Egyptian, I would say hum-de-le-lay.
• And if I were deaf, I would say.

But since I am who I am, since I know what I know, and since I feel what I feel, I say thank you!

Be thankful always! God bless you, in Jesus Name!

By: Lou Yeboah

Executive Editor, Dr. Ruth Tanyi

Email Us Your Comments @: Info@DrRuthTanyi.org

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