Study 17

PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING

 

Before we begin our study let us pray,

         

Dear Heavenly Father,

                    We come before You in the Name of our Lord and our Savior Jesus Christ. We ask You to please bless this time with You and help us to truly realize and appreciate all the blessings You have freely bestowed upon each one of us.

 Amen

 

INTRODUCTION

          As an introduction to this study, we go to the Amplified Bible and read the following Scripture,

 

Psalm 50:23a

"[23] He who brings an offering of praise and thanksgiving honors and glorifies Me ...""

 

          In addition we find that when we humble ourselves to pray, that is bring to God our petitions and requests with thanksgiving, He promises to give our hearts peace beyond all understanding. To see this, let us read the following excerpt from Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi.

 

Philippians 4:4-7

"[4] Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! [5] Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. [6] Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. [7] And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

 

Let us notice the following verses,

          4 … We are to rejoice in the Lord “always.”

 

          6a … Do not be anxious or worry about anything.

 

          6b … Our prayers, petitions and requests are to be given with thanksgiving.

 

          7 … When we do this, God promises that His peace will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

 

To expand upon this we will,

          1. Find that we are to offer praise and thanksgiving to God in all circumstances.

          2. Discover that this means in times of peace and tranquility and in also times of difficulties and/or persecution.

          3. Review some of the many reasons why God always deserves our love, praise and thanksgiving.

 

We begin by noting that,

 

WE ARE TO CONTINUALLY TO OFFER GOD OUR SACRIFICE OF PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING

To see this, consider the following instruction from,

 

Hebrews 13:15

"[15] Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name."

 

          In reflecting upon this verse of Scripture, one comes to realize that the statement “continually” means we are to praise and be thankful to God in all circumstances. This implies we are to praise and thank Him in times of peace and tranquility and are to praise and thank Him in times of trials, difficulties  and/or persecutions. To remind us of this truth let us read from,

 

1 Thessalonians 5:18

[18] in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

 

With the above will of God in mind we begin with,

 

PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING DURING TIMES OF PEACE AND TRANQUILITY

          It ought to be obvious that we should praise and thank God for His blessings in times of peace and tranquility. These are the times when all is well. These are times of good health, food to eat, clothing to wear, homes to live in, peace with our fellow man and in general visible answers to our prayers and requests. Unfortunately, it is in exactly these times when we must be careful to not take His Love and Mercy for granted and forget to give our God the praise and honor due Him.

          To see this, let us read about the time when Jesus healed the ten lepers. It is given to us in,

 

Luke 17:11-19

"[11] Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. [12] As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance [13] and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!" [14] When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed. [15] One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. [16] He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him--and he was a Samaritan. [17] Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? [18] Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" [19] Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well.""

 

Let us notice the following verses,

          12-13 … There were 10 lepers who stood far off and cried to Jesus for mercy. In other words, they were asking Jesus to heal them.

 

          14 … Instead of healing them right there Jesus told them to go to the priests. Was this a test to see if they would remember it was Jesus who healed them and come back to thank Him?

         

          15-16 … It was only the Samaritan, a person who did not practice the Jewish faith, who returned to thank Jesus. To help put the significance of this in its proper perspective would be to equate the Samaritan to an unbeliever and the remaining nine lepers to those who claim to be Christians.

 

          17-18 … Notice the disappointment in Jesus over the nine, who did not return to thank Him.

 

          So what is the point? What is the message? Perhaps at the end of each day, before we go to sleep for the night, we should reflect upon all the blessings of that day and give our God praise and thanks for them. For example we should always be aware that it was God who provided for our needs. In addition to everything else, our food, drink and shelter were also His provisions. To illustrate this message, we find that even our Lord Jesus Christ thanked God the Father just before He fed the 5,000 men with only five barley loves and two fish. This is recorded in,

 

John 6:8-11

"[8] Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, [9] "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" [10] Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. [11] Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish."

 

Let us now move on to,

 

PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING DURING TIMES OF TRIALS, DIFFICULTIES AND/OR PERSECUTION

          These are the times when we are hurting and/or suffering with sickness, disease or some physical ailment.  Perhaps we are being ridiculed and/or are being persecuted for our faith in Jesus Christ. It is during these times we may feel deserted by God or abandoned by Him. Consequently, these periods of adversity may be the most difficult for us to offer God our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. To help us through these times we will,

          1. Review three main points or truths to always remember.

          2. Review three of the various reasons why God will allow difficult times to fall upon us.

 

We begin with,

 

THREE TRUTHS TO ALWAYS REMEMBER

First of all,

 

God will never leave or forsake you

To refresh our memory of this glorious truth let us read the following Scripture,

 

Hebrews 13:5-6a

"[5] … God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." [6a] So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid…""

 

Secondly,

 

Satan needs God’s permission to touch those who are His

          To see this let us consider what Jesus told Peter just before He, Jesus, was arrested and crucified. To read what Jesus said we go to,

 

Luke 22:31-32

[31] And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. [32] But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”

 

Let us notice the following verses,

          31 … Satan asked permission to sift or shake up Peter’s faith.

 

          32a … Jesus prayed that Peter’s faith would not fail. When adversity may visit us, it will be the same for us. Let us never forget the following Scripture as it is translated in the Amplified Bible.

 

Hebrews 7:25

[25] … He is able also to save us in the utmost – completely, perfectly, finally and for all time and eternity – those who come to God through Him, since He is always living to make petition to God and intercede with Him and intervene for them.

 

Let us now return to Luke 22 and notice the following verse,

          32b … Notice that Jesus told Peter that when he returned to Him, Peter was then to go and strengthen the other Disciples of Christ.

 

Third,

 

All things work together for the good of those who are His

          To see this we again return to the Amplified Bible to read from,

 

Romans 8:28

[28] We are assured and know that all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for the good to those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.

 

          As we reflect upon the above three points one may ask; “Why does God allow trials, difficulties and/or persecutions to fall upon us?” To address this question let us review,

 

THREE OF THE VARIOUS REASONS GOD MAY ALLOW DIFFICULT TIMES

          First of all, as we read earlier about Peter, God may allow times of difficulty, trials and/or persecution,

 

To strengthen and/or purify our faith in Him

To expand upon this let us first read from,

 

Psalm 66:8-12

[ 8] Oh, bless our God, you peoples!

    And make the voice of His praise to be heard,

[9] Who keeps our soul among the living,

    And does not allow our feet to be moved.

[10] For You, O God, have tested us;

    You have refined us as silver is refined.

[11] You brought us into the net;

    You laid affliction on our backs.

[12] You have caused men to ride over our heads;

    We went through fire and through water;

    But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.

 

Let us now read God’s goal for this refining process as recorded in,

 

1 Peter 1:7

[7] that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 

 

The second purpose of God may be,

 

To move us to where He wishes to work through us

          To see this let us read how God moved the Apostle Paul to preach and teach the Galatians about the good news of Jesus Christ. To see this let us read the following excerpt from his letter to the Galatians. The passage of interest is,

 

Galatians 4:13-15

[13] You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first. [14] And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. [15] What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me. 

 

          The third purpose and last purpose for this study of why God may allow afflictions and/or difficulties to fall upon us is to,

 

Prevent us from falling into the sin of pride

          To see this, let us read why God allowed the Apostle Paul to have a thorn in his flesh. To read about Paul’s circumstances we go to,

 

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

[1] It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord: [2] I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven. [3] And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—[4] how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. [5] Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities. [6] For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me. [7] And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. [8] Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. [9] And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. [10] Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

 

 

Let us notice the following verses,

          4 … Paul was taken up to Paradise and heard things that even he could not speak about.

 

          5 … So as not to brag about himself, Paul wrote about these glorious experiences in the third party.

 

          6 … Paul did not want anyone to think highly of him because of his experiences. No! Paul wanted people to respect him and his apostolic authority for what he did and said.

 

          7 … The purpose of the attack was to prevent Paul from becoming conceited or spiritually proud. Also notice the torment came from Satan.

 

          8 … Three times Paul pleaded with God to have it removed.

 

          9(a) … For the rest of his earthly life Paul had to contend with persecutions and afflictions. In this case, God was actually using the evil ways of Satan to prevent Paul from sinning. Sometimes this is how God also will keep us from entering into the sin of pride.

 

          9(b)-10 … After Paul received God's answer to his prayer he realized that the afflictions were for his eternal good. Thus, not only did Paul stop praying for the removal of his afflictions, but gratefully accepted them.

 

          Thus, the Bible teaches us we should praise and thank God for the times when we may suffer persecution for His Name's sake. To see this, let us read from,

 

Matthew 5:11-12

""[11] Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. [12] Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

 

To further illustrate this point let us look to the,

 

The example of Paul and Silas

          The incident to be considered is the time when Paul and Silas were arrested for delivering a slave girl from a spirit of divination. It is recorded in,

 

Acts 16:22-25

"[22] The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. [23] After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. [24] Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. [25] About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them."

 

          To capture the depth of the faith and devotion of Paul and Silas, let us consider their plight. Instead of the people thanking Paul and Silas for the miraculous deliverance God performed by their hands, they had them arrested. They are also stripped, beaten and, in a cold dark jail, are fastened in stocks. In other words, they were severely punished for doing the righteous and good work that our Lord had asked them to do. Instead of crying, moaning and questioning God as to why all this had happened to them, they prayed and sang hymns to God.

          As one contemplates the above incident one is left with the question of, “Is this an unusual or extraordinary behavior for the disciple or follower of Jesus Christ?”

          In exploring the answer to this question, we find that this behavior was not unusual. In fact, the apostles and disciples of the New Testament actually considered themselves privileged to suffer for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. To see this, let us read what the apostles said after they were beaten for preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

Acts 5:40-42

"[40] ... They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. [41] The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. [42] Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ."

 

A post Biblical example

          Since we have only used Biblical examples, one might conclude that people who would rejoice, forgive their persecutors and consider it a privilege to suffer persecution, torture and possibly martyrdom for their faith in Jesus Christ is unique to the time of the New Testament. However, throughout the history of Christianity, this attitude of the apostles and disciples of the New Testament was and is characteristic for many of our Lord’s disciples. To see this one only has to read books such as, “Foxes Book of Martyr’s” by John Foxe or “By Their Blood, Christian Martyrs of the Twentieth Century” by James and Marti Hefley or “Faithful Unto Death” by Myron S. Augsburger.

          To provide a flavor of what is contained within these books, let us read an example of a forgiving spirit and respectful attitude towards God during the time of unimaginable suffering and martyrdom. This example is an excerpt from what Gerrit Corneliss Boon said in 1571 just before he was martyred.

 

          “Gerrit was so crippled from the torture he had to be carried to the stake. Here he witnessed to the crowd in a strong voice, calling:

 

“O men, how long is eternity, how long is eternity? But this life here is soon over, yet the conflict here is bitter and strong. But how it still concerns me. O flesh, be patient and stand yet a little, for this is the last struggle.”

 

          Then he fell on his broken knees and lifted his voice in prayer:

 

“O Father and Lord, be gracious unto me. Let me be one of the least of thy least lambs, or the least member of thy body.

O Lord, who lookiest down here from on high, and art a discerner of the hearts and of every hidden thing, before whom all things are to be counted as nothing, Thou knowest my simple love which is towards Thee.

Accept me, and forgive them that inflict this suffering upon me.¹”

 

          Then soldiers took Gerrit from his knees and took him to be killed.

 

The Teaching

          In reflecting upon the above one might ask; “How? How can it be possible to have an attitude such as this?” We must first remember that as a true born again believer, we have the Holy Spirit living and dwelling within us.

          Secondly, as a born again believer we are to mature and grow in our faith so that the fruits of the Holy Spirit flow from within us. His fruits, such as love and long suffering, are to become so strong in our lives that we too can experience the following description of the believer's love for God that we are to have in Christ Jesus.

 

Romans 8:35-39

"[35] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? [36] As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." [37] No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. [38] For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, [39] neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

 

          As I reflect upon these things, I find myself very much lacking in this type of love. It is precisely during these times of conviction that I am reminded of the reason for my deficiency. Specifically, I have taken my eyes, mind and heart off God and the significance of the eternal life He purchased for me. I have forgotten that the goal of my faith is eternal life and this should be my prime focus. To help me understand this, I am usually reminded to consider the following Scripture which teaches us that if we only hope in Christ for the potential blessings while living upon this earth, then in effect we have missed the whole point of the Gospel.

 

1 Corinthians 15:19

"[19] If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men."

 

          Since I suspect at times you also might fall into a similar plight, let us remind ourselves of,

 

SOME REASONS WHY GOD ALWAYS DESERVES OUR LOVE AND THANKSGIVING

          As we saw earlier, we should always thank God and praise Him for all the prayers He answered. In addition to answered prayer, there is also a myriad of reasons to love and give thanks and praise to our God. However, for this study we will only review the following small sample of them:

          1. Granting us a new birth.

          2. Delivering us out of the darkness.

          3. Saving others.

          4. Allowing us to serve Him.

          5. The privilege of sharing in His sufferings.

 

OUR NEW BIRTH

          First and foremost we should thank and praise God for our new birth, our inheritance in His Kingdom and for saving us from the horror of hell. In fact, we can never, ever, stop thanking Him for this blessing. To remind us of all what He did and why we should give Him our praises and thanks, let us read from,

 

1 Peter 1:3-9

"[3] Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [4] and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, [5] who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. [6] In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. [7] These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. [8] Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, [9] for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

 

We should also praise and thank God for,

 

OUR DELIVERANCE FROM DARKNESS

          The Bible teaches us that not only did He deliver us out of darkness but He has chosen us and made us, the born again believer, into a royal priesthood! To see this, let us read from,

 

1 Peter 2:9-10

"[9] But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. [10] Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."

 

          In addition to loving and thanking God for saving us and adopting us as His children, we should also remember to give Him thanks and praise for,

 

SAVING OTHERS

We find this is exactly what Paul did. For an example, let us read from,

 

Colossians 1:3-6

"[3] We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, [4] because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints-- [5] the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel [6] that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth.”

 

          In addition to loving and thanking God for saving us and others, we should also love and thank Him for the times when He grants us,

 

THE PRIVILEGE TO SERVE HIM

          We find Paul was always grateful to God for the ministry that God gave him. As an example, let us read an excerpt of Paul's letter to Timothy where he thanked Jesus for appointing him to His service.

 

1 Timothy 1:12-17

"[12] I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. [13] Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. [14] The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. [15] Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst. [16] But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. [17] Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen."

 

As we saw earlier, we should also thank God for

 

THE PRIVILEGE OF PARTAKING IN CHRIST’S SUFFERINGS

          This is the suffering of persecution for His Name's sake. To see this, let us read what the Holy Spirit said through the Apostle Peter to those who were, are and will be persecuted for being a born again believer.

 

1 Peter 4:12-16

"[12] Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. [13] But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. [14] If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. [15] If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. [16] However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name."

 

Let us notice the following verses,

          13 … We should rejoice when we are persecuted and participate in the sufferings of Christ

 

          14 … When we suffer for Christ, the reason to rejoice is we then know that the Spirit of glory and of God is resting upon us.

 

          15-16 … If we suffer for committing a crime; there is nothing to rejoice about. However, if we suffer for the Name of Jesus Christ we should praise and thank God that for the privilege to bear His Name!

 

SUMMARY

What is the message of this study? Perhaps it is best summed up in,

 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

"[16] Be joyful always; [17] pray continually; [18] give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

 

          With the above instruction in mind, let us close this study by reading unto the Lord the following Psalm.

 

Psalm 145:1-21

“[1] I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. [2] Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. [3] Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. [4] One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. [5] They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. [6] They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. [7] They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. [8] The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. [9] The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. [10] All you have made will praise you, O LORD; your saints will extol you. [11] They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might, [12] so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. [13] Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. [14] The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. [15] The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. [16] You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. [17] The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made. [18] The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. [19] He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. [20] The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. [21] My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise his holy name forever and ever."

 

Blessed be the Lord forever!

AMEN and AMEN!

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