By Pastor Chinedu Emmanuel

Psalm 34: 1-3 “I will bless the Lord at all time, His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord the humble shall hear thereof and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.” 

The above Psalm represents David’s unwavering commitment to praising and honoring the Lord consistently. He extends an invitation to others to join him in this act of worship, emphasizing a perpetual attitude of gratitude and acknowledgment of God’s greatness. Despite facing significant challenges and making serious mistakes in his life, such as being a fugitive and enduring period of extreme poverty. David’s journey to kingship even after he was anointed by Samuel, was not an easy transition. Hardships intensified after his anointing, serving as a lesson for us. It mirrors the common experience of facing increased challenges after spiritual highs. The enemy often intensifies attacks after our spiritual highs to undermine our faith and steal our blessings.

The key takeaway is not to let our emotions dictate our response to God. Rather, we should respond in faith to His word, recognizing that feelings can be fickle. David’s commitment to praising and uplifting the name of the Lord wasn’t contingent on specific occasions or favorable circumstances. It was a lifestyle—a continuous recognition of God’s goodness and faithfulness.

This enduring gratitude is evident throughout the entire book of Psalms, where David invites others to join him in magnifying the Lord. His call, “O magnify the Lord with me,” signifies a collective effort to exalt and honor God, highlighting the communal aspect of worship and praise. 

Making it a habit to express gratitude to the Lord is a practice every Christian should adopt and integrate it into their daily lives. It’s quite common to fall into the practice of offering a quick thanks or exclaiming, “Wow, Lord, thank you!” when we witness what we consider significant breakthroughs. However, if we take an honest look at our lives, we’ll see God’s constant and unwavering goodness and faithfulness through all the seasons and chapters of our lives, in the big moments and the small ones.

Let’s take a moment to reflect on all the reasons we have to be thankful: the gift of life, the presence of our families, the support of good friends, the sense of belonging in our church community, and the overall goodness of life. And in the midst of it all, let’s not forget to express our gratitude for Jesus Christ and the eternal life we received when we chose to follow Him

The significance of eternal life is nothing short of profound and deserves our continual gratitude. This extraordinary gift places us in a realm beyond the reach of death’s grip. Even in the face of physical death, the life we possess in Christ persists because it is eternal. As joint heirs with Christ, we not only partake in His life but share in its never-ending nature. Therefore, let our hearts overflow with continuous thanks to God for the priceless and enduring gift of eternal life. 

1Thess. 5:18 says “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”.  Paul urges us to stay thankful no matter our circumstances, be it joyful or challenging. This aligns with God’s will for Christ-followers, emphasizing that a grateful spirit is vital for believers. When expressing gratitude to God, it’s not just about pleasing Him; it’s also about fulfilling His will in our lives.

Psalm 103:1-5, “Bless the Lord, O my soul;And all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,And forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities,Who heals all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from destruction,Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things,So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Thanksgiving is meaningful when we have a real reason to thank God. When we understand and appreciate what He’s done for us, our thanks and praises come from the heart, not just the head.

We often focus on what people do to us rather than recognizing what is done for us. It’s crucial to be mindful of this tendency. The Psalmist encourages us not to forget the Lord and His benefits. God told Moses in Deut.8:11-13, “Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied;

Let’s avoid being like those who, after receiving blessings from God, boast about achieving them solely by their own abilities. We should acknowledge God with gratitude, as it’s pride that leads someone to believe they’ve reached a point where they no longer need God. Every believer needs to recognize that without Jesus, we can’t achieve anything of significance. When we lack gratitude, we resemble the generation Jesus spoke about in Matthew 11:16-17 “But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, and saying: ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we mourned to you, and you did not lament”. They were like children in the marketplace, hard to please, finding fault in everything about the church and service to God. This attitude doesn’t align with the spirit of God, and we should strive to live in the new life given by God in Christ Jesus and express thankfulness for it.

We should always emulate Christ our Lord and model. Even in the face of crucifixion, our Lord sang praises on His way to the place of execution. Just before He went to pray on the Mount of Olives, expressing deep agony in His prayer, He knew that all His disciples would abandon and deny Him within a few hours. Yet, He sang a hymn with them.

Matthew 26:30 says, “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, ‘All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.”

In every circumstance, it is important to give thanks because that aligns with God’s will for us in Christ Jesus. So, let’s go ahead and practice gratitude. As we celebrate Thanksgiving, let’s be mindful of the true meaning of this occasion. Rather than getting carried away in the festivities, let’s express heartfelt gratitude, recognizing the significance of the blessings we have received.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Pastor Chinedu Emmanuel is the Senior Pastor of Fountain Of The Living Word Church, New Jersey.