Joshua 1:8

"...[B]ut you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." (Joshua 1:8).

"You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me." (John 5:39).

"And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13).

Monday, November 19, 2012

Give Thanks

The Thanksgiving Solution

By T. M. Moore Published Date: November 18, 2012

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks…      Romans 1:21

We conclude this series on “The Thanksgiving Solution” with the same passage of Scripture with which we began. You will recall that we saw ingratitude as the hinge by which unbelievers turn away from God and descend into His wrath, as He gives them up to deeper and deeper snares of sin and corruption.  Ingratitude leads to rebellion, drifting from God, and the inevitable consequences of a life of sin.  But to what might the practice of thanksgiving lead?  If failing to give thanks marks the pathway to separation from God, can thanksgiving light the way to a deeper knowledge and love for the Lord?

I believe this is so, and the reasons for it should be obvious.  First, since we can only grow in the practice of thanksgiving as we grow in our relationship with God, the desire to be obedient in giving thanks in all circumstances will lead us to spend more time with the Lord, meditating in His Word and seeking Him in prayer.  We can’t “gin up” thanksgiving just because we want to; it must flow from within our minds and hearts, where the knowledge of God and love for Him are faithfully nurtured through the disciplines of Scripture and prayer.  So the more we long to practice thanksgiving, the more we will turn to Scripture and prayer as the wellspring of this discipline.

Further, the more we practice thanksgiving, the more aware we will become of the blessings of God on every hand.  The whole cosmos depends on the Word of God, and He is manifesting His glory and power in every part of it (Ps. 19:1-4).  As we reflect on the everyday blessings of God, our understanding of His wisdom, might, beauty, goodness, and love will grow.  The more these grow, the better we will know Him, and the more inclined we will be to give Him thanks and praise, thus reinforcing what is becoming an upward spiral of growth in the knowledge of God.

The more we learn of the Lord through thanksgiving, the more we will want to know of Him by every other means.  All the disciplines whereby we grow in the knowledge of God—our daily devotions, public worship, reading and meditation—will be strengthened and enlarged, so that we might gain greater access to His glory.  God will draw us to Himself as we walk in obedience to His Word; when we seek Him with all our hearts, He will be found of us, and no small part of that seeking entails faithful obedience in giving thanks.

If you wish to know the will of God for your life, begin by giving thanks.  If you wish to grow in the knowledge of God, which is eternal life (Jn. 17:3), persevere in giving thanks.  Thanksgiving is the solution for spiritual confusion, anxiousness of soul, and uncertainty of direction in life. Thanksgiving enlarges our souls, enriches our daily experience, and extends the grace and goodness of God to fellow members of the believing community.  Is it possible that a lack of thanksgiving is keeping you from a more fulfilling experience of Jesus Christ?  A more joyful and peaceful walk with the Lord?  Greater faithfulness in seeking Him?  Indeed, it may well be.

Thanksgiving is the solution to a multitude of spiritual ills, but we must be willing to take the medicine.  Do not wait to feel thankful before you begin practicing thanksgiving as a way of life.  And don’t wait to be invited to give thanks; let thanksgiving rise from you naturally, sweetly, specifically, and consistently at every opportunity, in every situation.  Your Christian life will be dramatically transformed if you will take Paul’s simple exhortation to heart: “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God for you in Jesus Christ.”

For this or other devotions by T.M. Moore, please visit the ColsonCenter.org or click on the following link:


This week we’ll continue reading through Second Corinthians, Chapters 5 – 8.

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