Tag: Thanksgiving

Let’s be honest. Do we like being around someone who is always an ungrateful grump? Who never sees anything good in anyone or anything?

A true worshiper is thankful. It will be very difficult to worship God if one is not grateful.  

We read in Psalm 50:14 (NLT) “Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God.” I love how Spurgeon describes this Scripture as “thankful adoration before the Lord.”  

Oh, to simply and purely adore Him, to stand in awe of Him.  

Recently, we held an anointed and powerful worship and prayer night at a place that we had never imagined possible. The next morning, as I was sitting at my desk, I was literally overcome with gratitude and amazement of who our Lord is and what He had just accomplished. I stopped typing, stood up from my desk, lifted my hands and my face towards heaven, and with tears streaming down, I cried out to Him, “I simply stand in awe of You, Lord God!”  

Psalm 48:9 (NLT) says, “O God, we meditate on your unfailing love as we worship in your temple.” It is interesting to note that both thankfulness in Psalm 50:14 and worship in Psalm 48:9 is the same Hebrew word: todah. which means “an extension of the hand, adoration, confession, praise, thanks (thanksgiving offering).”  

And Psalm 147:7 instructs us to “Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving [todah].” Let us commit to doing this. 

As we are filled to overflowing with gratitude to our incredible, faithful God, it becomes a delight, an absolute joy, to worship Him with thanksgiving and cheerful, gratified hearts!    

If you enjoyed this devotion, you may want to check out my devotion book How Can We Not Worship Him? at the following link:  https://howcanwenotworshiphim.com/

Isn’t it amazing the God of the universe, Creator of all things, the One mighty angels bow before His throne in adoration, praise and worship – invites you and I into His presence?

We are instructed in Psalm 100:2 to “Come before His presence with singing.” This breathtaking statement tells us several items to deeply consider with awe and reverence. The One who split the earth wide open, created the Rocky Mountains, and formed the baby we have held in our hands is personally inviting us to come and spend time in His presence.

This Scripture also is shedding light that we are not only invited, but we are able to come into His glorious and splendorous presence. Can our small finite minds comprehend this? And how? With singing! Yes, the Holy and Majestic One is inviting you and I into His hallowed and unimaginable presence with singing.

We are also admonished to “Enter His gates with thanksgiving” (Ps. 100:4). Think about this – this is informing us there are gates to go through to get to Him – and our Lord is asking us to come through those gates with thanksgiving. We also read it in Psalm 95:2 “Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;” The Hebrew word in both places for thanksgiving is todah which means thanks, thanksgiving, adoration. This is how our Holy God is asking us to approach Him; with adoration and thanksgiving.

We are also encouraged to come into His courts with praise (Ps. 100:4). We have come through His gates with thanksgiving, now He wants us to come closer; into His courts – with praise. The praise here, in Hebrew, is tehillah and means laudation, celebrate, praise. Wow, singing songs of praise, exultation, and admiration of our great and awesome God brings us right into His glorious, wonderous, magnificent and sacred presence. This is where He wants us! This is where we belong.  

Oh Lord Jesus, help us comprehend what you are asking us to do, inviting us to do – everyday of our lives. May we get this deep down in our soul. The One who rules and reigns over all and of Your Kingdom, there shall be no end. The One who died and rose from the dead so we could live an eternity with You and made a way for us here on earth to come into your glorious, splendorous and majestic presence now. Let us pray through these Scriptures and gladly do as You are requesting. To daily enter into Your gates with thanksgiving and into Your courts with praise and bask in Your magnificent, beautiful, heavenly, holy presence. This is where we want to be. Amen

One of my favorite Scriptures is Psalm 92:1-2, as I find myself praying or singing it out loud many times throughout the day. Praying these verses always humbles me, and propels me to stand in awe with a heart of worship of our incredible, faithful God, that loves us so. 

“It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night” 

Oh Jesus, how can we ever thank You enough for Your written Word that stands forever. What a refreshing joy to sing, shout, and pray out loud Your promises… that stirs us to unrestrained, unbridled worship of You. To remind ourselves throughout the day to give thanks to You, singing praises to Your name, O Most High. Declaring Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night! Oh how we love You Jesus. How can we not worship You?!

In John 9, we read about a man born blind who met Jesus and was healed. The challenge to the Pharisees was that it happened on the Sabbath. So, they called the man in for interrogation and informed him that the man who healed him could not be a Godly person, because he healed someone on the Sabbath, which was against their rules.

To that, the healed blind man declared “…if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him” (John 9:31). Strong’s Greek Dictionary reflects the Greek word used here for “worshiper of God” is theosebes, and means “reverent of God, pious, worshiper of God.”

What an encouraging and inspiring word for us! His Word informs us that if we are a “worshiper of God” and do His will – God hears us! Yes, Jesus hears our cries for help, our pleas for intervention, our quiet moans for friendship, our prayers and supplications, our pleading of intercession for others, and yes, our exuberant shouts of praise and adoration to the Lover our of souls. He does gladly hear us!

Thank you, Father, for Your Word that instructs and enlightens us that You gladly and intently hear a worshiper of God who does Your will. Oh, may we diligently and earnestly seek to be passionate, heart-felt worshipers who are joyful and faithful in doing Your will.

My wife and I had a pastor many years ago who would say he thought of worship as “worth-ship,” that God was worth our worship, that He alone is worthy of all our worship. 

David knew God is worthy of our worship. He wrote, “I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised” (Ps. 18:3). In Psalm 29:2, he cries out: “Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord.”

Philippians 2:9 tells us, “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name.” 

If God highly exalted Jesus, should we not highly exalt Him with our worship? 

We also worship God because “He is Holy,” as written in Psalm 99:3, 5, 9, and 22:3 “You are holy.” And just in case there is any doubt, God Almighty Himself declares “I am the Lord, your Holy One” in Isaiah 43:1 (see also Isa. 57:15; Ex.15:11).

We are actually instructed to worship Him “because He is your Lord, worship Him” (Ps. 45:11b). Psalm 95:6 admonishes us with, “Oh come, let us worship and bow down”, and also “Oh, worship the Lord” in Psalm 96:9.

We read the desire of His heart for you and me in Psalm 22:27: “And all the families of the nations shall worship before Him.” Also, “All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, and shall glorify Your name” (Ps. 86:9). 

Our Father knows what is best for His children. He knows what keeps our heart in love with His heart. He really does want us to exalt Him and worship Him, for He alone is worthy, He alone is holy.

“But if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.” (John 9:31).

Oh Jesus, You break it down to the simple basics for us. You call us to be dedicated, passionate, worshipers that do Your will. And, Your part is –
You promise to hear us. How beautiful, how simple, how awesome. Oh, how You love Your children. May be commit to choosing a lifestyle of worship and obedience to the only One worthy. Amen