Thanksgiving Week - Giving Thanks

Give Thanks

1 Chronicles 16:8-9 (CEB):  ⁸ “Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make his deeds known to all people! ⁹ Sing to God, sing praises to him; dwell on all his wondrous works!” Common English Bible (CEB)

What does Thanksgiving mean to you? Is it giving Thanks? Is it Rejoicing in what God has given you? Is it remembering the good times & the BAD? With the economy like it is things are tight for all of us, even those that have both parents (or one) working. But, it's still doable and that's thanks to God's provisions. It may not seem like He has his hand in it - but He does.


It's the groceries that He provides - or the extra large crop in the garden.
It's the gas in the car that seems to last longer than usual.
It's the surprise check that comes in the mail earlier than you were expecting.
It's the ability to make something out of nothing - can you sew? can you bake the world's best cookies? can you draw?


The last year has been tough for me. Many of you know that. But God has provided mystery shops and payment from one in particular who is very timely. God has provided health insurance for part time hours. God has given me reprieve from the terrible migraines I've been getting this past year and I could go on...


1st Chronicles 16: 34 Give thanks to the LORD because He is good, because his faithful love endures forever.” (CEB)


Is there a way to Give Thanks other than prayer?
I was reading an article today about Thanksgiving in Times of Tribulation and there were a few parts that stood out to me. Click here to read it. You might find it interesting too.


We can Sing Praises to God - We can give GLORY to God by praising him. 



We can give GLORY to God by praising him. 
a. We are designed to show “the greatness of his grace by the goodness that God has shown us in Christ Jesus” Eph 2:7 (CEB)


I want to continue the thought with Eph 2:10 (CEB): ...we are God's accomplishment, created in Christ Jesus to do good things. (Doesn't it make sense that we can show praise to God by doing good things and we give Glory to God when we do?)


"What does it mean when it is said that the heavens declare the glory of God? 
The heavens declare that God is perfect. The heavens manifest His wisdom, His power, and His purpose in designing all creation for an intelligent end. The heavens are manifesting the glory of God in the sense that they reveal what God is and what He can do." Ps 19:1-2**  


b) When I yield MY Life to God and SEEK to serve Him, I am glorifying Him - MY life and testimony is an example of what the GRACE of God can do for us.




The next few months I will be sharing thoughts and verses from the new Common English Bible which has just been published. I'm excited to see this new Bible and see the difference a word or passage makes. I have a precept by precept Bible (Kay Arthur 'precepts ministry') that I will be using together with the CEB Bible to compare the meanings of words and passages. I'm looking forward to having a Bible that is in today's language and written to understand easily. I also want to compare it with a Ryrie Bible which has been my favorite translation for years. 


**(I like this version of this verse - it's elegant and so descriptive of HOW the heavens declare the glory of God, so I left it as is from the article.)


Your Thoughts:
Do you have a favorite translation? I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts about Thankfulness and what God has done for you that has been most meaningful to you this year.