_ Now go with me to the Ninety-Second Psalm
for a word from King David on being grateful. The LORD, through the songs that
David wrote, teaches us a whole lot about gratefulness. The ninety-second
Psalm says this (1) A Psalm or Song for the Sabbath Day. It is a good thing to
give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: (2)
To show forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faith-fulness every
night, (3) Upon an
instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn
sound. (4) For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph
in the works of thy hands. (5) O LORD, how great are thy works! and thy
thoughts are very deep.”
No doubt you’ve all heard the beautiful Christian hymn titled “Count Your Blessings.” It says this.
When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
First, Count your blessings. How long has it been since you looked around you and were stirred with gratefulness for all the LORD has given to you? David says this in verse one. “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD.” You see, gratefulness is a good thing. And, as you already know, one of the ways of opening your heart to God is to be grateful to Him for the things He’s already given to you. David must have bee contemplating; a rare exercise for us in our modern world. As he looked around at God’s benefits to him, he must have sensed the need to be grateful for all that the LORD had sent his way. Have you ever wondered what the LORD has sent your way as it pertains to food?
According to the Food & Agriculture Organization Poverty Facts and Statistics, approximately 950 million people in the world go hungry in a year, twice as many in Asia as in Africa. These statistics seem to say that for every seven people in the world who eat well, there is one who goes to bed hungry and without food. [Found on www.worldhunger.org] And, on average, you and I eat no less than 4.7 pounds of food everyday in the United States.Just look into your refrigerator later today and see just a small portion of what God has sent your way recently. Then take a minute to wonder about how good the LORD has been to you and consider being more grateful to Him for His provision.
According to the Bible, it’s a good thing to give thanks to the LORD. James, the brother of Jesus, wrote this in the NT. James 4:17 “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” Since you know it’s good to give thanks, then it’s simply a matter of obedience to the LORD to give Him thanks. It’s just plain good to give thanks to the LORD.
First, then count your blessings. They extend way beyond food and drink.
Second, sing praises to His name. That first verse says “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: Here’s what this word praise means. Praise = to show or to express honor, admiration, and worship to God. When we praise the LORD, we humble ourselves and give Him center stage and appreciate Him for Who He is. Psalm 50:23 “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: ...”
Now what I’d like you to see next this. What does it mean to “offer praise”? I’d like you to see exactly what the Bible teaches on this subject. And here’s what we find. The way God’s people have always expressed praise is by singing. Go on to Page Three
No doubt you’ve all heard the beautiful Christian hymn titled “Count Your Blessings.” It says this.
When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
- Refrain:
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
*Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.
First, Count your blessings. How long has it been since you looked around you and were stirred with gratefulness for all the LORD has given to you? David says this in verse one. “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD.” You see, gratefulness is a good thing. And, as you already know, one of the ways of opening your heart to God is to be grateful to Him for the things He’s already given to you. David must have bee contemplating; a rare exercise for us in our modern world. As he looked around at God’s benefits to him, he must have sensed the need to be grateful for all that the LORD had sent his way. Have you ever wondered what the LORD has sent your way as it pertains to food?
According to the Food & Agriculture Organization Poverty Facts and Statistics, approximately 950 million people in the world go hungry in a year, twice as many in Asia as in Africa. These statistics seem to say that for every seven people in the world who eat well, there is one who goes to bed hungry and without food. [Found on www.worldhunger.org] And, on average, you and I eat no less than 4.7 pounds of food everyday in the United States.Just look into your refrigerator later today and see just a small portion of what God has sent your way recently. Then take a minute to wonder about how good the LORD has been to you and consider being more grateful to Him for His provision.
According to the Bible, it’s a good thing to give thanks to the LORD. James, the brother of Jesus, wrote this in the NT. James 4:17 “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” Since you know it’s good to give thanks, then it’s simply a matter of obedience to the LORD to give Him thanks. It’s just plain good to give thanks to the LORD.
First, then count your blessings. They extend way beyond food and drink.
Second, sing praises to His name. That first verse says “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: Here’s what this word praise means. Praise = to show or to express honor, admiration, and worship to God. When we praise the LORD, we humble ourselves and give Him center stage and appreciate Him for Who He is. Psalm 50:23 “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: ...”
Now what I’d like you to see next this. What does it mean to “offer praise”? I’d like you to see exactly what the Bible teaches on this subject. And here’s what we find. The way God’s people have always expressed praise is by singing. Go on to Page Three