Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:13-15
I have something to give thanks for. Over the past week, on three different days, I found money on the front lawn of the parsonage. First day, 2 $1 bills, second day, one $10 bill! Third day one more $1 bill for a total of $13!! They say money doesn’t grow in trees. But maybe it grows on lawns! And if you want to claim it’s yours you’d better have a good story!
I have to tell you something about the word thanks. I often wonder where words come from. To me, “thank” sounds a lot like “think.” So, I began to wonder about whether thank could be the past tense for think, in the same way that “drank” is the past tense for “drink” So, I looked it up, and I was right. “Drink” is to “drank,” as “think” is to “thank.” Or, it used to be any way. We all know the word thank is not used as the past tense of think anymore. Today we say, “I thought about it.” I would never say, “I thank about that.”
So, then you have to wonder, why do we use the words “thank” and “thanks” exclusively today as expressions of gratitude? Why has the English language developed so far as to come up with a completely different past tense for think, so that today I say, “I thought about these things” and not say that “I thank about them.” People today have sometimes said, I “thunk about that,” but we all know that is no longer considered proper English. In fact, when I typed that out on my computer, even spell check objected. “Thunk” is not an English word, anymore, except as a sound effect.
I have a theory as to why our English language developed this way. It starts with the Hebrew concept of thanksgiving. I may have mentioned before that one thing I learned in Hebrew class is that the Hebrew language does not have any abstract words. It’s all very graphic. That means the Hebrew people used to think in pictures. They used word pictures for everything. For example, the root word for giving thanks comes from a literal, graphic word for extending the hand.[i] You can see how that works.
It’s like sign language for the act of giving. But when you are giving, you have to give something, not just an empty hand. So, in Hebrew there was no proper way to express your gratitude without describing the events that made you feel that way. You could not just say “thank you” to someone in that culture without going on to describe the great things that had been done which cause you to express your gratitude. The words, “giving thanks” are in many places in Scripture, especially in the psalms.
Understanding why we are grateful is inseparable from the act of expressing and acknowledging that appreciation. Perhaps it could be expressed this way:
Adoration is the means whereby we acknowledge the heights of God’s holiness and the magnificence of his character.
Confession involves recognition of our failure to meet God’s holy standards.
Thanksgiving is the means whereby we acknowledge the receipt of God’s forgiveness and everything else he gives us out of his lavish and gracious love.[ii]
The custom of “thanksgiving” is helpful, both as acknowledgement and as encouragement. But the emphasis in Scripture is much more specific, revolving around the concepts of confession and praise.[iii]
And that’s the way it should be. Even today, our best expressions of gratitude come with making note of what we are thankful for, confessing the truth about the giver’s generosity, which is to offer praise. So, here comes the theoretical part. In Old English, many years ago, and influenced by Christian culture, when people were filled with gratitude they would say something like, “I thank of you.” Which of course we have to understand as “I thought of you.” Then the thanker would go on to describe the wonderful thoughts they had gratitude for. But over time, people being what they are, sort of lazy in general, that got shortened to “I thank you.” And then simply, “Thank you.”
It is still understood to be an expression of gratitude. We still use the language like that somewhat. The old cliché still applies—it’s the thought that counts. But we have largely forgotten the part about giving the details and the story behind the gratitude. Oh, there are still occasions for which we go all out like that, such as if we still send thank you notes to people on special occasions. But mostly it’s just “thank you,” with all the good details simply understood. It goes without saying. I mean we don’t want to embarrass the giver by gushing all over them, do we?
Well, we can’t embarrass God, and it turns out giving thanks to him is really, really good for us, because it helps us remember how good and faithful he has been in the past and helps us to trust him with our future. Back in the 90’s, Kathy started keeping a special journal. It is simply a list of all the ways that God has blessed us over the years and what we are thankful for. It is now 56 pages long in Microsoft Word. And that is after having to start over in 2001, or so, when Kathy’s computer got a virus and crashed and we lost everything, in the days before Carbonite. She started over, and recalled from memory many of the things that had been written down in the lost document. So, it’s 56 pages today, and we know it is not really the complete record! The plan is to scrapbook it and include relevant family photos and give a copy to each of our kids. The joy of thanksgiving is in remembering just how good and great is our God, both to us as individuals and to the whole body of Christ.
In the first installment of this prayer series we pointed out that adoration is identifying who God is and acknowledging that he is worthy of our love and devotion just because he is so good. Adoration is distinct from thanksgiving because in giving thanks we are expressing our gratitude for all that this good God has done for us. And the more we think about God the more we will thank him! You see what I did there, from think to thank? All our good thoughts about what God has done for us and in us ought to be incorporated into our prayers. Because we are communicating with God when we pray, it is important to remember before him the things we know he has provided out of his great, great love for us and out of his abundant riches in glory.
As we read in our text: “It is written: “I believed; therefore, I have spoken.” It’s like, if you really believe in God, how can you keep quiet about such good news? We know Peter and John, two of the Apostles, couldn’t stop talking about the risen Lord, even though they were ordered to stop and threatened with punishment. We read about that in Acts 4:18-20, “Then the Sanhedrin called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” There it is: We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard. And I hope it’s true in your life too, that whenever you get an opportunity to tell someone else how great God is, you offer thanks to God in front of whoever you’re talking to.
And the next verse in our text has Paul saying, “Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself.” But beyond Paul, we also have that same Spirit if we are in Christ! Therefore, we also believe and speak, you and I and all our modern brothers and sisters in the Lord, because we also know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. “You”? Who’s “you”? For Paul, it was any new believers who were baptized and became believers. So, for us, the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with [all the new believers we reach] to himself.
Then Paul says, “All this is for your benefit,” That is for the benefit of the new believers, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. The more people that are being saved, the more there are that are thanking God for what he has done. And that’s good!
Think of it, God’s grace is given, but not just so that we can be saved, as if it’s all about us. Paul says that the real reason God does all this is so that we can live godly lives that lead more people to Christ so that more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Paul is saying you have not been saved just so you can go to heaven. In fact, I can prove it. If salvation was given just so I could go to heaven, I’d already be there! God would not delay in accomplishing his purpose.
But I am not there. I am here and I have been given a mission, to make new disciples and cause more and more people to rise and give thanks to God. And one of the most significant means God uses to lead more people to Jesus is our prayers of thanksgiving. The joy of thanksgiving is that it is contagious and leads others to faith!
You know why? Because as we are living our lives down here, and enduring hardship and suffering in any of its myriad forms, if we are giving thanks to God for his blessings in the midst of our suffering, that impresses people! That gets people curious about how you can do that. That allows you to introduce them to Jesus. Always include thanksgiving in your prayers and you will also always be ready with a testimony to others about the goodness of God’s love and care.
Yes, God is revealing his glory. But he’s no megalomaniac glory seeker. God is holy and it is only proper that His whole creation should give him the honor that is due him. The psalmist says that the heavens declare the glory of God, so there’s no reason for us to hold back. The Westminster Confession Chapter on Worship includes: “Prayer with thanksgiving is one part of religious worship and is required by God from all men.” And in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 we are specifically commanded, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
One of the most amazing stories I have ever heard about the joy of thanksgiving is how it kept up the spirits and hope of Betsy Ten Boom in a German concentration camp during World War II. Betsy’s sister Corrie Ten Boom tells the story. It goes like this. Betty was the optimist between the two of them. One day, Corrie was scratching and complaining about the thousands of fleas that infested their crowded barracks. There was no escape from that torture. Even at night, when the guards were sleeping, the fleas were biting and it was driving Corrie crazy!
But Betsy reminded Corrie that her complaining was not right. She quoted 1 Thessalonians 5:18. “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Corrie still balked at the idea, she would never thank God for miserable fleas. But one day she did. That day came when she realized that because of the fleas the Germans never came into the barracks unless they absolutely had to! Because the Germans wanted to avoid the fleas, the barracks were a safe place where Betsy and Corrie could freely share the gospel with the other prisoners and offer prayers and the hope pf the gospel. No matter how difficult the circumstances of life, those who trust in God can find something for which to thank him, and that has the power to bring joy.
So, from now on, our prayer insert will show this as we will put a list of things we are thankful for in its own section after the confession. We will always be thankful first and foremost for God’s forgiveness and grace.
Often, the act of thanksgiving is closely linked to praise and is expressed in singing. Hebrew poetry uses parallel phrases to emphasize the central thought. This is easily seen in the Psalms, where the English words “praise” and “thanks” are translations of the same Hebrew word, coupled with “sing.”[iv]
“I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.” (Psalm 7:17).
“Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.” (Psalm 30:4)
“Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.” (Psalm 33:2)
“I will praise thee, O LORD, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations.” (Psalm 57:9)
“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High.” (Psalm 92:1)
The joy of thanksgiving is that giving thanks simply does fill us with joy. It’s positive thinking at its best! And it encourages us to keep on believing in God’s goodness and love!
Next week we will talk more about Supplication, or intercession. But I just want to mention it now because thanksgiving is a great way to prepare our hearts to believe God will grant our requests. In Philippians 4:6 Paul wrote, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
Similarly, in 1 Timothy 2:1, Paul wrote, under instructions on worship, “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people.” Prayer should always include thanksgiving. Most times that Paul mentions his prayers for the saints he says he is thanking God for them. Of the 13 epistles credited to Paul, in 9 of them he wrote things like: “We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers.”
We don’t just thank God when we give thanks. We also get to thank God for each other and for the roles we play in the ministry. When we give thanks for others who are working with us to the same end, the joy of thanksgiving is that it is motivational. Motivation is important because the goal of the Christian faith is not just to know something, but to do something with what you know.
Let us pray and give thanks. Thank you Lord for loving us so well, so deeply and so sacrificially by sending us your own son, to rescue us from the deadly predicament of our sinful condition. We could not save ourselves. But you have come. Thank you Lord for causing the great story of your love, and the dark history of our rebellion and our need of grace to be recorded for us in writing and carefully preserved down through the centuries so that we could also know and be blessed by so great salvation. Thank you for leading and blessing and protecting all the saints who have gone before us, even through great suffering and persecution, so that they faithfully transmitted the message to our generation. Thank you for promising that we can do the same for the next generation. Thank you for trusting us to be good stewards of the all the material and spiritual blessings you pour into our lives. And thanks in advance for inspiring our use of these so that new souls are saved as we work in the fields of harvest. Thank you for the challenging circumstances, the feelings of inadequacy because they make us depend upon you. Thank you for the joy that is ours in Jesus Christ as we continue to give thanks in all things. Thank you in Jesus name.
I have something to give thanks for. Over the past week, on three different days, I found money on the front lawn of the parsonage. First day, 2 $1 bills, second day, one $10 bill! Third day one more $1 bill for a total of $13!! They say money doesn’t grow in trees. But maybe it grows on lawns! And if you want to claim it’s yours you’d better have a good story!
I have to tell you something about the word thanks. I often wonder where words come from. To me, “thank” sounds a lot like “think.” So, I began to wonder about whether thank could be the past tense for think, in the same way that “drank” is the past tense for “drink” So, I looked it up, and I was right. “Drink” is to “drank,” as “think” is to “thank.” Or, it used to be any way. We all know the word thank is not used as the past tense of think anymore. Today we say, “I thought about it.” I would never say, “I thank about that.”
So, then you have to wonder, why do we use the words “thank” and “thanks” exclusively today as expressions of gratitude? Why has the English language developed so far as to come up with a completely different past tense for think, so that today I say, “I thought about these things” and not say that “I thank about them.” People today have sometimes said, I “thunk about that,” but we all know that is no longer considered proper English. In fact, when I typed that out on my computer, even spell check objected. “Thunk” is not an English word, anymore, except as a sound effect.
I have a theory as to why our English language developed this way. It starts with the Hebrew concept of thanksgiving. I may have mentioned before that one thing I learned in Hebrew class is that the Hebrew language does not have any abstract words. It’s all very graphic. That means the Hebrew people used to think in pictures. They used word pictures for everything. For example, the root word for giving thanks comes from a literal, graphic word for extending the hand.[i] You can see how that works.
It’s like sign language for the act of giving. But when you are giving, you have to give something, not just an empty hand. So, in Hebrew there was no proper way to express your gratitude without describing the events that made you feel that way. You could not just say “thank you” to someone in that culture without going on to describe the great things that had been done which cause you to express your gratitude. The words, “giving thanks” are in many places in Scripture, especially in the psalms.
Understanding why we are grateful is inseparable from the act of expressing and acknowledging that appreciation. Perhaps it could be expressed this way:
Adoration is the means whereby we acknowledge the heights of God’s holiness and the magnificence of his character.
Confession involves recognition of our failure to meet God’s holy standards.
Thanksgiving is the means whereby we acknowledge the receipt of God’s forgiveness and everything else he gives us out of his lavish and gracious love.[ii]
The custom of “thanksgiving” is helpful, both as acknowledgement and as encouragement. But the emphasis in Scripture is much more specific, revolving around the concepts of confession and praise.[iii]
And that’s the way it should be. Even today, our best expressions of gratitude come with making note of what we are thankful for, confessing the truth about the giver’s generosity, which is to offer praise. So, here comes the theoretical part. In Old English, many years ago, and influenced by Christian culture, when people were filled with gratitude they would say something like, “I thank of you.” Which of course we have to understand as “I thought of you.” Then the thanker would go on to describe the wonderful thoughts they had gratitude for. But over time, people being what they are, sort of lazy in general, that got shortened to “I thank you.” And then simply, “Thank you.”
It is still understood to be an expression of gratitude. We still use the language like that somewhat. The old cliché still applies—it’s the thought that counts. But we have largely forgotten the part about giving the details and the story behind the gratitude. Oh, there are still occasions for which we go all out like that, such as if we still send thank you notes to people on special occasions. But mostly it’s just “thank you,” with all the good details simply understood. It goes without saying. I mean we don’t want to embarrass the giver by gushing all over them, do we?
Well, we can’t embarrass God, and it turns out giving thanks to him is really, really good for us, because it helps us remember how good and faithful he has been in the past and helps us to trust him with our future. Back in the 90’s, Kathy started keeping a special journal. It is simply a list of all the ways that God has blessed us over the years and what we are thankful for. It is now 56 pages long in Microsoft Word. And that is after having to start over in 2001, or so, when Kathy’s computer got a virus and crashed and we lost everything, in the days before Carbonite. She started over, and recalled from memory many of the things that had been written down in the lost document. So, it’s 56 pages today, and we know it is not really the complete record! The plan is to scrapbook it and include relevant family photos and give a copy to each of our kids. The joy of thanksgiving is in remembering just how good and great is our God, both to us as individuals and to the whole body of Christ.
In the first installment of this prayer series we pointed out that adoration is identifying who God is and acknowledging that he is worthy of our love and devotion just because he is so good. Adoration is distinct from thanksgiving because in giving thanks we are expressing our gratitude for all that this good God has done for us. And the more we think about God the more we will thank him! You see what I did there, from think to thank? All our good thoughts about what God has done for us and in us ought to be incorporated into our prayers. Because we are communicating with God when we pray, it is important to remember before him the things we know he has provided out of his great, great love for us and out of his abundant riches in glory.
As we read in our text: “It is written: “I believed; therefore, I have spoken.” It’s like, if you really believe in God, how can you keep quiet about such good news? We know Peter and John, two of the Apostles, couldn’t stop talking about the risen Lord, even though they were ordered to stop and threatened with punishment. We read about that in Acts 4:18-20, “Then the Sanhedrin called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” There it is: We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard. And I hope it’s true in your life too, that whenever you get an opportunity to tell someone else how great God is, you offer thanks to God in front of whoever you’re talking to.
And the next verse in our text has Paul saying, “Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself.” But beyond Paul, we also have that same Spirit if we are in Christ! Therefore, we also believe and speak, you and I and all our modern brothers and sisters in the Lord, because we also know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. “You”? Who’s “you”? For Paul, it was any new believers who were baptized and became believers. So, for us, the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with [all the new believers we reach] to himself.
Then Paul says, “All this is for your benefit,” That is for the benefit of the new believers, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. The more people that are being saved, the more there are that are thanking God for what he has done. And that’s good!
Think of it, God’s grace is given, but not just so that we can be saved, as if it’s all about us. Paul says that the real reason God does all this is so that we can live godly lives that lead more people to Christ so that more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Paul is saying you have not been saved just so you can go to heaven. In fact, I can prove it. If salvation was given just so I could go to heaven, I’d already be there! God would not delay in accomplishing his purpose.
But I am not there. I am here and I have been given a mission, to make new disciples and cause more and more people to rise and give thanks to God. And one of the most significant means God uses to lead more people to Jesus is our prayers of thanksgiving. The joy of thanksgiving is that it is contagious and leads others to faith!
You know why? Because as we are living our lives down here, and enduring hardship and suffering in any of its myriad forms, if we are giving thanks to God for his blessings in the midst of our suffering, that impresses people! That gets people curious about how you can do that. That allows you to introduce them to Jesus. Always include thanksgiving in your prayers and you will also always be ready with a testimony to others about the goodness of God’s love and care.
Yes, God is revealing his glory. But he’s no megalomaniac glory seeker. God is holy and it is only proper that His whole creation should give him the honor that is due him. The psalmist says that the heavens declare the glory of God, so there’s no reason for us to hold back. The Westminster Confession Chapter on Worship includes: “Prayer with thanksgiving is one part of religious worship and is required by God from all men.” And in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 we are specifically commanded, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
One of the most amazing stories I have ever heard about the joy of thanksgiving is how it kept up the spirits and hope of Betsy Ten Boom in a German concentration camp during World War II. Betsy’s sister Corrie Ten Boom tells the story. It goes like this. Betty was the optimist between the two of them. One day, Corrie was scratching and complaining about the thousands of fleas that infested their crowded barracks. There was no escape from that torture. Even at night, when the guards were sleeping, the fleas were biting and it was driving Corrie crazy!
But Betsy reminded Corrie that her complaining was not right. She quoted 1 Thessalonians 5:18. “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Corrie still balked at the idea, she would never thank God for miserable fleas. But one day she did. That day came when she realized that because of the fleas the Germans never came into the barracks unless they absolutely had to! Because the Germans wanted to avoid the fleas, the barracks were a safe place where Betsy and Corrie could freely share the gospel with the other prisoners and offer prayers and the hope pf the gospel. No matter how difficult the circumstances of life, those who trust in God can find something for which to thank him, and that has the power to bring joy.
So, from now on, our prayer insert will show this as we will put a list of things we are thankful for in its own section after the confession. We will always be thankful first and foremost for God’s forgiveness and grace.
Often, the act of thanksgiving is closely linked to praise and is expressed in singing. Hebrew poetry uses parallel phrases to emphasize the central thought. This is easily seen in the Psalms, where the English words “praise” and “thanks” are translations of the same Hebrew word, coupled with “sing.”[iv]
“I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.” (Psalm 7:17).
“Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.” (Psalm 30:4)
“Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.” (Psalm 33:2)
“I will praise thee, O LORD, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations.” (Psalm 57:9)
“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High.” (Psalm 92:1)
The joy of thanksgiving is that giving thanks simply does fill us with joy. It’s positive thinking at its best! And it encourages us to keep on believing in God’s goodness and love!
Next week we will talk more about Supplication, or intercession. But I just want to mention it now because thanksgiving is a great way to prepare our hearts to believe God will grant our requests. In Philippians 4:6 Paul wrote, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
Similarly, in 1 Timothy 2:1, Paul wrote, under instructions on worship, “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people.” Prayer should always include thanksgiving. Most times that Paul mentions his prayers for the saints he says he is thanking God for them. Of the 13 epistles credited to Paul, in 9 of them he wrote things like: “We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers.”
We don’t just thank God when we give thanks. We also get to thank God for each other and for the roles we play in the ministry. When we give thanks for others who are working with us to the same end, the joy of thanksgiving is that it is motivational. Motivation is important because the goal of the Christian faith is not just to know something, but to do something with what you know.
Let us pray and give thanks. Thank you Lord for loving us so well, so deeply and so sacrificially by sending us your own son, to rescue us from the deadly predicament of our sinful condition. We could not save ourselves. But you have come. Thank you Lord for causing the great story of your love, and the dark history of our rebellion and our need of grace to be recorded for us in writing and carefully preserved down through the centuries so that we could also know and be blessed by so great salvation. Thank you for leading and blessing and protecting all the saints who have gone before us, even through great suffering and persecution, so that they faithfully transmitted the message to our generation. Thank you for promising that we can do the same for the next generation. Thank you for trusting us to be good stewards of the all the material and spiritual blessings you pour into our lives. And thanks in advance for inspiring our use of these so that new souls are saved as we work in the fields of harvest. Thank you for the challenging circumstances, the feelings of inadequacy because they make us depend upon you. Thank you for the joy that is ours in Jesus Christ as we continue to give thanks in all things. Thank you in Jesus name.
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