Give Thanks
For the child of God, thanksgiving is to be a continuous occurrence. God commands His children “in everything give thanks” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Psalm 100 gives seven reasons for thanksgiving. The first four are found in verse 3—”Know that the Lord, He is God; it is He who has made us and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture”; the last three are located in verse 5—”For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.” Consider more closely these final three:
- God is good. Jehovah is kind and benevolent to all people. “He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). His offer of all spiritual blessings in Christ (Ephesians 1:3) is made to every creature in all nations (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19). “His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3) and these things are available to all because of the abundance of His goodness.
- God is merciful. “He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust” (Psalm 103:14). Therefore, He has mercifully made provisions for forgiveness when His children fail to walk in the light as they ought (1 John 1:7-2:1). He has placed a great High Priest—merciful and faithful—at His right hand who can sympathize with our weaknesses, aid us when we are tempted, and provide mercy and grace to help us in time of need (Hebrews 2:17-18, 4:14-16). Oh, the riches of God’s mercy!
- God’s truth endures forever. Truth belongs to God. He is the essence of truth because He cannot lie (Titus 1:2); in fact, He cannot even be tempted to lie (James 1:13). He is faithful to His word to the thousandth generation (Psalm 105:8). Heaven and earth will pass away (Matthew 24:35), but the word of the Lord abides forever (1 Peter 1:25). It has no expiration date.
“Be ye thankful” (Colossians 3:15).
