We Give Thanks

We Give Thanks

Pastor Richmond Goolsby

"We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks!  For your wondrous works declare that Your name is near."  Psalm 75:1

It is that wonderful time of year when we set aside a special day to give thanks to God.  We are to give Him thanks with great exuberance as reflected in the repetition of “we give thanks!” in Psalm 75.  Enthusiastic praise is the cry of the hearts of God’s people everywhere, for we know that “every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights.” (James 1:17)  It is the providential hand of our Father which reaches into the depth of His goodness and dispenses multiplied blessings to His children.  And as we look at His wondrous works we stand amazed in His presence. We stand amazed not only because His works are so wondrous, but that He would extend them to us.  As undeserving as we are of God’s bountiful blessings, we give Him thanks out of a gratitude that knows He gives goodness that we do not deserve.  At no time in history has God declared His wonder more than in the life of Jesus Christ.  The Bible tells us that Jesus “became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)  In the incarnation of Christ we find the glory of God displayed.  In the first coming of Jesus we see God dwelling among us.  God has made His name near and proclaimed it to be so in the works of our merciful Savior.  As Jesus died on the cross, He displayed God’s love for fallen sinners and provided the way for salvation.  As Jesus rose from the grave, He declared that victory is won for all who depend upon Him.  For this, and so much more, we give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks!

Giving Thanks

"We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks!  For your wondrous works declare that Your name is near."  Psalm 75:1

God is so worthy of our thanksgiving.  With His gentle hand He has provided our lives.  With the might that holds up the universe, He sustains each breath we breathe.  Each individual act of God's power and grace is a gift.  And the gifts He gives are innumerable.  We give Him thanks because He is good.  He gives because He is good.  Out of His goodness flows the wondrous works we receive.  Each wondrous work declares the goodness of His name.  But the goodness of God refuses to leave His name out of reach, for we see that His works declare His name is near.
In His transcendent magnificence He is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light.  No man dare to even consider looking upon His full glory.  Certainly there are times that He chooses to reveal a portion of the glory which surrounds Him, but no man can look upon God and live.  Yet, in all of His omnipotent splendor God has chosen to come near.  He has chosen to declare that He is near by declaring so through His wondrous works.  He has chosen to come near in the person of Jesus Christ.  As John says, "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father."
God is near today for all who follow Christ, and we should thank Him.  He is good.  He is powerful.  He cares enough to intervene.  Give Him thanks with your life.