Thankful Heart-Part 1

Thanksgiving is a divine mystery and a product of understanding; only a man of understanding can make sacrifice of thanksgiving acceptable to God. David was a man who understands this mystery and it is one of the factors that distinguished and elevated him in life.

I am aware we all make use of the word thank you in fact it is one of the golden words taught in school. It is like an automated response to an act of kindness.

However, thanksgiving transcend just saying thank you for an act of kindness, it is acknowledging the sovereignty of God. We don’t have to wait for a spectacular act of God before we acknowledge Him, He is just and good. We do not thank Him just so He could do more, it goes beyond that. He is good to the just and unjust, so there must be more to thanksgiving than just thanking him for his goodness.

Thanksgiving is submitting to His Lordship and sovereignty, it is acknowledging his glory and His Almightiness. He said my glory andhonour I will share with no one (Isaiah 42:8). Angels in heaven are crying holy holy, they are worshiping and offering Him praise and thanksgiving all day.

Thanksgiving to God is bowing to His supremacy an act of honor to him as God. It is a submitting to His Lordship as the one who have the power and glory to do and undo. To Him be all glory and honour, Amen.

Thanksgiving comes out of understanding and revelation of who God is, the depth, height, width and breath of His majesty and not just what he can do. It is not only about His acts but who He is that produces His acts.

Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.  Psalm 67: 5-7

 This is a mystery.

Many of us offer thanksgiving to God because we have been taught to do so not because we have the understanding. We must know that God is sovereign. Thanksgiving must proceed from that understanding that He is God and no other. Someone said, ‘God does not operate on the stand of fairness but on Grace and Mercy.’ I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, not because of what they did or did not do but because I am God, so who can query his doings. He puts one up and another down, yet He is sovereign.

For hesaith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. Romans 9:15

Jesus, the Lord of all operated this mystery and miracles came forth.

In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight. Luke 10:21

Praise, thanksgiving is a mystery hidden from the “wise”, “the intelligence.” It is a strong weapon that defeat of the enemy.

You have taught children and babies

To sing praises to you because of your enemies

And so you silenced your enemies and destroy those who try to get even. (New contemporary version)Psalm 8:2

Nursing infants gurgle choruses about you

Toddlers shout the songs

That drown out enemy talk

And silence atheist babble. (Message translation) Psalm 8:2

At the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus gave thanks saying, father I thank thee, and the dead man got up and the grave could no longer hold him because you can’t engage God from the point of His Lordship and sovereignty over your life and situations and He will not respond.

Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.John 11:41

Apostle Lawrence Achudume is the General Overseer of Victory Life Bible Church, and writes this piece from Abeokuta, Ogun State Capital