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“Doesn’t the Bible say God doesn’t need anything – Yes. Yes. And doesn’t God say we’re not supposed to seek the praise of others?” Yes. Yes. Then why does Scripture tell us we have to give thanks and praise to God? What’s God’s problem? If we only give thanks because of a command from God – the problem is not with Him.

It’s with our knowing the presence of God. And, perhaps with our definition of Thanksgiving.

Ephesians 5:18-20 Do not filled with wine – don’t get drunk  that is reckless, mindless, wild living: “The life of one who has no regard for safety” When we are under the influence of anything other than God’s Spirit, we place ourselves in danger. But, being filled with the Spirit brings to us the “mind” of Christ And what is the result?

Ephesians 5:18-20 What is the result? We have the words of Christ to speak and sing to each other; natural praise for Christ and thanksgiving flows! From this word for thanks in the passage we get “eucharist” Holy Communion, that is also commonly called “The Great Thanksgiving”.

How do we give thanks for everything? Thanks for Sandy? For the nor’easter that followed? For tragedy? The emphasis is not on just the “all” – or all the time – for all things, but on the new opportunity, privilege and experience we enjoy of giving thanks to the Father – in the name of Jesus – in the fullness and power of the Holy Spirit that make us fully aware of the continual presence of the Father and the Son at all times in all situations.

1 Thessalonians 5:17-19 “Give thanks In all circumstances… For this is the will of God…” First it says “pray constantly” Not the circumstances, but our giving thanks. In the most difficult of times God is still present, God still rules, God still loves me, God still listens to my cry, His powerful grace is still available to me – for that I can’t help but give thanks – all the time. Perhaps that’s why Paul goes on to say, “Do not stifle the Spirit.”

What if I don’t feel grateful or appreciative. It just seems so hypocritical to give thanks.

The word usually translated as Thank is Yadah – along with Hodah and Todah. All related and are found in our Bibles as thanks, thanksgiving, thankoffering and the like. But the word does not have the root meaning of appreciation, gratitude, or gratefulness, but of confession, acknowledgement, declaration and proclamation.

Then, how does it get translated “give thanks”? When Scripture says, “Give thanks to God” it is exhorting us to confess to Him and others, to acknowledge, declare or proclaim who He is, what He has done, and what He has promised He will do. As a consequence some versions now translate it as praise, because “giving thanks to God is one way of praising Him.”

Giving thanks, then, is the recognition and subsequent acknowledgement, confession and declaration of who God is, what he has promised, what he has done, and what he has said He will do.

Psalm 100 Enter His gates with… Thanksgivng - Todah And His courts with… Praise – Hallel Give thanks to Him – Hodah And bless His name - Barach

Back to the New – the New Testament Hebrews 13:15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess His name… that praise His name… that acknowledge His name… that proclaim His name… that give thanks to His name!

Which is it – are we to praise, confess, acknowledge, proclaim, or give thanks? All of the above! Same sense as our Old Testament word – Yadah. It is one “sacrifice” we are privileged to offer to Him. OOOh…serving Christ is such a sacrifice!

So to the question – and often the accusing voice – “You hypocrite! You don’t feel very appreciative. Stop giving thanks to God.” We say, “I don’t need to feel it – I know it to be true with all my being – all my heart” And, when I acknowledge it, when I confess it, when I proclaim it in thanks and praise to God – it’s funny how that makes me feel!