A Week of Thankfulness
O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth forever.
(1 Chronicles 16: 34 NKJV)
God’s characteristics
*God is good.
*He is loving
*He is merciful.
*He is patient.
*He is an epitome of goodness and righteousness.
Why should we give thanks?
Because ……..
*God is good.
*God is our Creator.
*God provides and protects our lives.
*God is our redeemer and Saviour.
How should we give thanks?
Should thank him through ………
*our songs
*our praise and worship
*our prayers
*our good deeds.
Above all obey His Word and live accordingly.
Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift.
(2 Corinthians Chapter 9: 15)
If we give, He will give.
• Sow bountifully and reap bountifully.
*Generous and bountiful giving is the way to have abundant return.
*As a result God delights our hearts.
• Showing grace by giving
*Giving graciously and generously to the poor makes us to be sufficient in our lives.
*As a result, God is more gracious unto us.
• Cheerful giver
*Generous and cheerful giving changes our financial conditions.
*As a result, God makes us righteous at His sight.
• God’s generosity
*No matter how generous we are, it pales when compared with the generosity of God.
*God gifted us His only Son.
*Through which we are cleansed and saved from our sins.
• So give thanks unto Him ceaselessly.
Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.
(Colossians Chapter 4: 2)
• Depending on Christ in prayer ……..
*Depend Christ through our continual prayers.
*Depend Christ in all situations through prayers.
*Depend Christ in sorrow as well as in happiness through prayers.
• ……..strengthens our faith……
*leads us to endurance.
*leads us to humility.
*leads us to love one another.
*redeems us from our sins.
*leads us to the path of righteousness.
• ……And be thankful always.
*thankfulness lifts up our God above all gods.
*thankfulness glorifies His name.
*thankfulness pleases our God.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
(James Chapter 1: 17 KJV)Two kinds of gifts from God
*Every good gift is the gifts from the living Father who is giving us every day.
*Every perfect gift is a gift from our loving Father who has given us as we were born. (Especially our talents, purposes)
God is the author of every good gift and every perfect gift.
*He gives us on the basis of His goodness.
*God is always gives and He has given.
*God’s giving is on the basis of His character and not on the basis of our character.
*So everything that He gives and has given either spiritually or physically is perfect. There is no flaw in His gifts.
The Father of lights……
*God is the Creator of the heaven and the earth. It includes all the luminaries the sun, the moon and the stars.
*God allows us to walk on this earth is because of His grace.
*His grace is bounteous.
The permanent gifts of God
*God’s giving and the given gifts are unchangeable.
*His creations are changeable as in the day and the seasons due to the rotation and revolution of the earth.
*God never follows no pattern. He is unconditional and gracious.
*He never stops giving nor takes away what is given. He is changeless.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all days of my life and I will dwell in house of the Lord for ever.
(Psalm 23: 6 KJV taken from Psalm of David)
Starting the verse with, Surely shows the certainty in one’s life.
Certainty of what?
*Goodness and mercy.
Anticipating goodness and mercy from God tells us the confidence in one’s life.
Goodness of God
*It’s the most delightful feeling.
*God is good. When it’s His goodness, we know that He thinks nothing bad for us.
*God is good all the time.
Mercy from God has so many diversities.
What are they?
*Pardoning mercy: God pardons our iniquities.
*Protecting mercy: Every one comes across dangers and difficulties of the world. God protects us.
*Sustaining Mercy: God has sustained us from spiritual conflicts, severe afflictions, discomfort and unavoidable circumstances.
*Supplying Mercy: As God had supplied to the needs of the Israelites in the wilderness, God supplies us according to all our needs even though we are grumpy and dissatisfied.
Will do what?
Shall follow me
*What a privilege when His goodness and mercy follow me!
*As the hen has an eye on her chicks, the good Shepherd has an eye on us every time. Isn’t it wonderful?
*We lack nothing. We have everything.
When do we enjoy such a life?
All the days of my life
*Not one day, but all the days of my life.
Why? Because of
*His affection
*His care
*His goodness and mercy
Where does it lead to?
I will dwell in house of the Lord for ever.
Why? Because
*It’s the heavenly abode where there’s no pain or sorrow.
*No wickedness or evil
*No hunger or thirst
*Only God, God alone.
Who inherits all the above mentioned heavenly luxuries?
*who are righteous
*who are following His Word
*who are trusting and believing His Word
*who are living by abiding His Word.
Who gives the surety?
God the Father, through the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Glory be to God
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