Come Into His Presence With Thanksgiving

“If only ___ happened in my life, then I would be happy and content.”

“If only ____ changed, then I wouldn’t be so dissatisfied all the time.”

“If only ____."

How would you fill in the blanks above? I have multiple things I would place in those blanks, things I look to as THE THING that would make my life better. A change in circumstances. An answered prayer. A dream realized. Healing of something broken. A provision. Whatever the “if only” is, it becomes my one focus and keeps me from remembering the goodness of the Lord and rejoicing in what he has done for me.

In truth, my “if-only’s” nurture my discontent.

Psalm 95: An Invitation to Worship

Psalm 95 is a psalm of praise, inviting worshippers into God’s presence. It expounds on reasons why we worship and praise the Lord. At the same time, it also presents a warning as it contrasts the grateful heart with that of a grumbling heart, reminding us of how easy it is to wander into discontentment. At its heart, this psalm shows us how being in God’s presence and dwelling on who he is fosters gratitude and thanksgiving, rather than discontentment.

The psalmist begins with an invitation to worship: “Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! (vv.1-2). This worship is directed to “the rock of our salvation.” When we consider how the Lord has delivered us from sin by his grace, we can’t help but respond in joyful praise. We can’t help but give him the thanks he is due. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.

The author goes on to explain why we worship and give thanks:

• for the LORD is a great God (v.3)

• He is a great King above all gods (v. 3)

• He owns the earth (v.4)

• He created all things; he is our Maker (vv.5-6)

• He is our God! (v.7)

• We are his people, his sheep (v.7)

Our God is greater than all. He created and rules over all things. Everything belongs to him. But he is not a God who rules from a distance; he is very near. He is our God. He knows us and we know him. Even more, he shepherds us. We can’t help but think of Psalm 23 and the tender description of God as a shepherd caring for his flock and of Jesus’ description of himself as the Good Shepherd in John 10. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep…I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me” (John 10:11, 14). What a privilege to worship the God of the universe who knows each of his sheep!

When Hearts Wander

These verses stand in contrast to what comes next in Psalm 95 as the psalmist cautions worshippers to remember their ancestors who wandered from their Good Shepherd. They hardened their hearts at Meribah (v.8). They put God to the test, despite witnessing his wondrous works to deliver them from slavery (v.9). They grumbled and complained and doubted God’s goodness. They did not give him thanks for his faithfulness to them and to his covenant. They were rebellious and hard-hearted. As a result, they did not experience the Lord’s rest (v. 11). They wandered in the desert for forty years and missed out on entering the Promised Land.

Psalm 95 reminds worshippers just how important it is to keep our minds and hearts fixed on the character and works of God and to respond to him with thanksgiving, for we are prone to wander. We so easily forget what the Lord has done for us. Like Israel, we forget the God who rescued and delivered us the moment we hunger. When Israel faced difficult circumstances, they were quick to respond with their own “if-only’s.” “If only the LORD had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.” (Ex. 16:3). They remembered the food they ate in Egypt and longed to return back to slavery rather than trust in the God who owns all the fields of the earth. And we do the same. But praise God for his grace toward those who wander! Our Good Shepherd will never let even one of his sheep go far (Luke 15:3-7). And no one can take his sheep from him: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:27-28).

When we come into God’s presence, dwelling on who he is and what he has done, our discontented hearts are reshaped into grateful ones. We respond in joy and thanksgiving. For he is our God; he know us and we know him.

Photo by Tanner Yould on Unsplash

Give Thanks With Your Whole Heart

Later this month, we celebrate Thanksgiving in the U.S. It’s a time to gather with family and friends and enjoy a feast. It’s a time to give thanks for all our blessings, to express our gratitude for all that we have. When the holiday was first announced by President Lincoln in 1863, it was assumed that such thanks would be offered to God. In our post-Christian culture, people still express gratitude for the good things in their life, but not to the One who gives them all that they have, including their very breath.

For those who profess faith in Christ, what does our offer of thanksgiving look like?

In Psalm 9, the psalmist wrote, “I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.” (vv.1-2). In Hebrew poetry, when two lines are joined together, they are considered a couplet where the second line repeats what is stated in the first line. It echoes the thought in the previous line, providing further information on what the first statement means. In the case of verse one, recounting all of God’s wondrous deeds is what it means to give thanks to the Lord with one’s whole heart. So rather than just verbalizing a general statement of thanksgiving to God, we look back at our life and list or recount all that God has done.

And that’s what the author does in Psalm 9. Some scholars think David wrote this psalm after his win against Goliath; others see it as a psalm recounting God’s deliverance over David’s enemies in general, those enemies who stood against him as he took over the land God promised to his people. In this psalm, David reveals the reasons why he is giving thanks. He recounts the Lord’s faithfulness in delivering him from his enemies (vv.3-6). He describes the Lord’s character and how he relates to his people. (vv.7-10) The Lord is just, righteous, and a stronghold. He does not forsake those who place their trust in him. David then exhorts, “Sing praises to the LORD, who sits enthroned in Zion! Tell among the peoples his deeds!” (v. 11).

To give thanks with our whole heart is to do more than just say, “Thank you”; it is gratitude that bubbles up from deep inside our heart. It’s the response of those who know that all good things come from the Father in heaven. It’s the response of the humble—those who acknowledge that God alone is the source of all that we have. Further, when we give thanks, it’s not so much about the gift itself, but about the Giver, for as the psalmist wrote, “I will be glad and exult in you” (v.2). This is what makes the gratitude of a Christian different from other expressions of thanksgiving. We give thanks and rejoice in God; the non-believer rejoices in the gift.

When we give thanks during this season of Thanksgiving, let us recount the things that God has done, not just the things done for us today, but even the things God has done for us in the past. The Puritan preacher, Matthew Henry, wrote in his commentary, “When we give thanks for some one particular mercy we should take occasion thence to remember former mercies and so to show forth all his marvellous works.”

This Thanksgiving, let us ask: How has God been faithful to me in my life? How has he provided? How has he comforted? How has he sheltered? How has he delivered? “The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you” (vv. 9-10).

As we recount his wondrous deeds, let us give thanks with our whole heart.

Photo by Adam Winger on Unsplash

The Self-Denying Grace of Thanksgiving

When I flip through my prayer journals, I see a common theme, that of supplication. It seems I never hesitate to cry out to God to intervene in my life. I ask for his provision. I seek his help and wisdom. I pray for strength and healing and transformation. These are appropriate prayers, after all, Jesus taught us to pray for our daily bread. The psalmist cried out to the Lord for help and hope. And the author to the Hebrews encouraged us to come to the throne of grace to receive help and grace in our time of need (Heb. 4:16).

But I was convicted recently as I read a devotion from the Puritan, Thomas Brooks. When I read these words, “there is more need of praises than there is of prayers,” it made me pause. I stopped to mull that sentence around in my mind. I found myself mentally weighing my needs versus the gifts I’ve received. The next sentence clarified why this is true: “For our mercies outweigh our needs.”

Think of it! All the undeserved and unearned mercies God showers upon us each day far outweigh our needs. The more I considered all these mercies, the more I realized how seldom I stop to return thanks. More often, I take those mercies for granted. Mercies such as daily provisions, protection from evil, the joy of fellowship with Christ, forgiveness of sins, God’s faithfulness and steadfast love toward me, the sanctifying work of the Spirit in me, and so much more.

Thomas Brooks explained what happens when we give thanks: “Thanksgiving is a self-denying grace. It takes the crown from ourselves, and sets it on the head of our Creator. It is a grace that gives God supremacy in our hearts, thoughts, desires, words, and works. Thankfulness is a freewill offering.”

When we give thanks to God for who he is and what he has done, we give to God what he is due. “Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength! Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him!” (1 Chronicles 16:28-29). God alone is Creator and Sustainer. He alone gives us life and breath. He alone redeems and saves. In giving thanks, we humble ourselves before the One who gives us all things. Giving thanks reorients our hearts and minds from focusing on ourselves and what is going on around us. It redirects our gaze from the storm to the One who commands the wind and rain. It exalts God and magnifies who he is. It makes God great in our eyes and in our heart.

This admonition is timely for me in this unprecedented season of uncertainty. My worries over these past few months have produced discontentment rather than thanksgiving. Indeed, my prayers are many, but my praises are few. I’ve voiced my worries and concerns, expounded on my grumbles and complaints, and sought the Lord to intervene and provide. Yet, I’ve failed to prostrate my heart in thanks for God’s endless mercies. In the words of Thomas Brooks, I’ve held tight to the crown.

Brooks also pointed out that there is no prayer in heaven, only praise. As John wrote “…the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever” (Revelation 4:9). Thanksgiving and praise is the song of heaven. It’s the recurring anthem, the heartbeat of all who stand before the throne. The more we practice giving thanks on this earth, the more we ready ourselves for heaven to come.

We may not know what tomorrow holds. This uncertainty may continue for some time. Yet even in our difficult circumstances there is reason to give thanks. Because God’s mercies are many, may our praises outweigh our prayers.

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess. 5:18).

Why We Give Thanks

Thanksgiving. It's the season where we join together with friends and family around a table spread with food. We give thanks for the blessings in our life and recall all the good we've experienced during the year.

For some of us, it may be hard to think of things for which we are thankful. Life may not be going well. We may be in the midst of deep heartache, a season of suffering, or wandering through a dry desert—with no oasis in sight. 

Gratitude isn't only for those who have everything they've ever wanted and whose dreams have all come true. As believers, we are called to give thanks in all things and in all circumstances. If your heart wonders, "What could I possibly be thankful for this year?" consider this list:

Five Reasons to Give Thanks

1. God is Creator: We give thanks because God is our creator and sustainer. Each breath we take comes from him. Acts 17:25 says, "nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything." Giving thanks acknowledges that we are dust and that everything we have comes from God; we can do nothing apart from God's grace.

2. God deserves and is worthy of our thanks and praise: God is holy, righteous, and good. He is worthy of all honor and praise. "I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High" (Psalm 7:17). "Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom" (Psalm 145:3). No matter what is happening in our life, no matter the challenges we may face, there is always a reason to give thanks—because God deserves it. We can thank him simply for who he is. And when we don't give thanks, when we hold back because our life isn't turning out how we'd like it to, we actually rob God of the praise and glory he is due.

3. Scripture calls us to give thanks: Paul tells us to "rejoice in the Lord always" (Philippians 4:4) and to "give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Giving thanks to God is something believers are to do all the time, not just once a year in November and not just when life is going well. Rather, it ought to be the continuous posture of our heart. When life is challenging, we often wonder what God’s will is. The Bible tells us: give thanks.

4. Because of all God has done for us in Christ: Our greatest reason to give thanks is because we've been brought from death to life. God has shown his goodness and faithfulness to us through the death of his Son on our behalf. Because of Christ, we have been adopted into the family of God. The list of benefits and joys associated with having new life in Christ is endless. What we have in Christ is reason enough to give thanks. "Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe" (Hebrews 12:28).

5. It's what we were made for: We were made to worship, praise, and give thanks to God. The Westminster Confession says that the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. Giving thanks is one of the ways we bring God glory. It's also how we enjoy him. The beautiful thing about doing what we were created to do is that it gives us great joy. Knowing God and responding to his wonder and glory by returning thanks for who he is and what he has done, brings us deep and abiding joy. It's the kind of joy that anchors us during difficult times. Even when the sorrows of life cut into our life, we still have joy—a joy even in the midst of our tears because we are known by our Maker and Creator.

This Thanksgiving, there really is much for which to give thanks. From our very life to eternal life; from God's goodness to his steadfast love; from Christ's atonement to membership in the Body of Christ; from the wonder of knowing God to the deep joy of being known by him, the reasons are many. May giving thanks to our Lord be the joy and posture of our hearts this Thanksgiving and every day throughout the year.