The Highest Form of Thanks
November is as good a time as any to take inventory of your fruit as a Believer. The Word teaches us that followers of Jesus should have certain characteristics. Believers are charged to forgive. (Colossians 3:13) Believers are charged to serve. (1 Peter 4:10-11) Believers have a heart for God’s people. (Matthew 25:35-40) Believers delight in giving God glory, and they show their thanks through praise.
One of my absolute favorite things to do in life is praise God. I love discovering new praise and worship songs that I can internalize, reflect on, and learn from. I can't tell you how many times I have taken a deeper look into the lyrics of a worship song that I like, only to discover the lyrics came straight from the Bible. In researching Bible verses relating to singing praises unto the Lord, one list counted 71 verses on the topic. The fact that we can find "singing praises to God" referenced in scripture at least 71 times, emphasizes to me the importance of praising God through song.
Although singing is one of the most common ways to praise God, it’s not the only way. The Word tells us that we can praise Him with the timbrel and dance and loud clanging cymbals (Psalm 150:4-6), and we can praise Him by lifting up your hands (Psalm 63:3-4). However, One of the absolute best ways that we can give God praise is to live a life that honors Him and thanks Him. (Psalm 101:2, 1 Thessalonians 2:12)
As we walk through life, it’s important to understand why we are doing what we are doing; the purpose behind our actions. With that said, we need to understand why we give God thanks. The Bible gives us many instructions on how to live our lives. The Bible teaches us the importance of trusting God. (Psalm 34:4-8) The Bible teaches us how we should manage our finances. (Proverbs 21:5, 1 Timothy 5:8, Philippians 4:19, Proverbs 3:9-10) The Bible teaches us how to interact with one another. (Matthew 5:7, Luke 6:31) The Bible teaches us how to make good decisions, and how to live a long life. More than anything the Bible reveals to us, the nature and the heart of God.
God created all of us to honor him, to glorify him, and praise him. (Isaiah 43:21) Have you ever wondered why that is? Have you ever wondered what God gets out of our praise? In my opinion, the reason God wants us to glorify him is not only to honor him because he’s God (which of course we should). When we show our thanks to God through praise, it really gives us a chance to open our hearts to God and thank him for all that he has done in our lives. Praise is the absolute highest form of thanks. As we praise God, we are thanking him for the last time he pulled us through. Each time we praise God, we are thanking him for sustaining us during challenging times. (Philippians 4:6-7) As we give our praise and thanksgiving to God, we are showing our true appreciation for him being the greatest father there is. (Psalm 145:3) Every time we praise God, it’s a chance to show him how much we love him. (Psalm 9:1)
Think about this question – When is the last time you displayed your thanks to God through praise? And I’m not talking about on the surface praise, I’m talking about deep down from the bottom of our heart praise. God wants to hear your heart cry out. God wants to hear your songs of praise. God wants to hear your thanksgiving. It’s God’s nature to love hearing his children call on him. God takes delight in protecting us and keeping us safe. God takes delight in being our refuge. God takes delight in being our waymaker. So we should take delight in giving him the highest form of thanks there is…our praise.
References
25 Bible Verses About Managing Your Finances. (2023, September 30). Retrieved from PushPay Website: https://pushpay.com/blog/25-bible-verses-about-managing-your-finances/
Bible Reasons: Bible Verses About Singing. (2023, October 13). Retrieved from Bible Reasons: https://biblereasons.com/bible-verses-about-singing/
Biblica, Inc. (1984, 2011). The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Harper Collins Publishers.
Serving Bible Verses. (2023, July 5). Retrieved from Bible Reasons: https://biblereasons.com/bible-verses-about-singing/
Tyndale House Foundation. (1996, 2004, 2015). Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Carol Stream, Illinois. All rights reserved.: Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.
One of my absolute favorite things to do in life is praise God. I love discovering new praise and worship songs that I can internalize, reflect on, and learn from. I can't tell you how many times I have taken a deeper look into the lyrics of a worship song that I like, only to discover the lyrics came straight from the Bible. In researching Bible verses relating to singing praises unto the Lord, one list counted 71 verses on the topic. The fact that we can find "singing praises to God" referenced in scripture at least 71 times, emphasizes to me the importance of praising God through song.
Although singing is one of the most common ways to praise God, it’s not the only way. The Word tells us that we can praise Him with the timbrel and dance and loud clanging cymbals (Psalm 150:4-6), and we can praise Him by lifting up your hands (Psalm 63:3-4). However, One of the absolute best ways that we can give God praise is to live a life that honors Him and thanks Him. (Psalm 101:2, 1 Thessalonians 2:12)
As we walk through life, it’s important to understand why we are doing what we are doing; the purpose behind our actions. With that said, we need to understand why we give God thanks. The Bible gives us many instructions on how to live our lives. The Bible teaches us the importance of trusting God. (Psalm 34:4-8) The Bible teaches us how we should manage our finances. (Proverbs 21:5, 1 Timothy 5:8, Philippians 4:19, Proverbs 3:9-10) The Bible teaches us how to interact with one another. (Matthew 5:7, Luke 6:31) The Bible teaches us how to make good decisions, and how to live a long life. More than anything the Bible reveals to us, the nature and the heart of God.
God created all of us to honor him, to glorify him, and praise him. (Isaiah 43:21) Have you ever wondered why that is? Have you ever wondered what God gets out of our praise? In my opinion, the reason God wants us to glorify him is not only to honor him because he’s God (which of course we should). When we show our thanks to God through praise, it really gives us a chance to open our hearts to God and thank him for all that he has done in our lives. Praise is the absolute highest form of thanks. As we praise God, we are thanking him for the last time he pulled us through. Each time we praise God, we are thanking him for sustaining us during challenging times. (Philippians 4:6-7) As we give our praise and thanksgiving to God, we are showing our true appreciation for him being the greatest father there is. (Psalm 145:3) Every time we praise God, it’s a chance to show him how much we love him. (Psalm 9:1)
Think about this question – When is the last time you displayed your thanks to God through praise? And I’m not talking about on the surface praise, I’m talking about deep down from the bottom of our heart praise. God wants to hear your heart cry out. God wants to hear your songs of praise. God wants to hear your thanksgiving. It’s God’s nature to love hearing his children call on him. God takes delight in protecting us and keeping us safe. God takes delight in being our refuge. God takes delight in being our waymaker. So we should take delight in giving him the highest form of thanks there is…our praise.
References
25 Bible Verses About Managing Your Finances. (2023, September 30). Retrieved from PushPay Website: https://pushpay.com/blog/25-bible-verses-about-managing-your-finances/
Bible Reasons: Bible Verses About Singing. (2023, October 13). Retrieved from Bible Reasons: https://biblereasons.com/bible-verses-about-singing/
Biblica, Inc. (1984, 2011). The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Harper Collins Publishers.
Serving Bible Verses. (2023, July 5). Retrieved from Bible Reasons: https://biblereasons.com/bible-verses-about-singing/
Tyndale House Foundation. (1996, 2004, 2015). Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Carol Stream, Illinois. All rights reserved.: Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.
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