ONE HUNDRED WAYS AND MORE………

ONE HUNDRED WAYS AND MORE, TO SAY THANK YOU LORD!

James (Travis) Reeves, popularly known as Jim Reeves (1923-1964) sang the song “We thank thee” , in which he listed a number of things to thank God for. When I was very young, my dad used to play this song a lot (which is how come I know about it as it was way before my time) and one of his favourite expressions of all time was “We give thanks to Thee, O God”.

Lately, I have been dreaming up ways to say “I give thanks to You, O God” and I found out that there are so many ways and we should have absolutely NO EXCUSES to NOT be thanking God.

Now, when I talk about thanking God, I do not mean it to be the “He gave me a job”; or “I just got admitted into the University”; or “I sealed that deal”; or “He healed me”; or “He blessed me with a great husband” kind of thank-you.  These thank-yous’ are really great and the fact is that if we neglect to say them we do not well.

I am however, talking about thanking God for the things we do not yet see. That kind of “thank you” is truly an expression of our faith. So even when you do not know how the next pay check will come; or someone just had a child for your husband; or your car engine just knocked out; or you are in your  fifties and are already peri-menopause and there is not yet a man for you!; this is exactly the time I think we should find ways to thank God.

King David gives us some tips on what to do. He says we can sing praises;  2 Samuel 22:50

We can also call upon His name; call His names El – Shaddai,  El-Elyon,  El-Jireh, El-Nissi, El-Roi; Immanu-El; (these are just a few. There are so many more; go find them!)  and make known His deeds; Psalms 105:1

Take the words of your favourite Psalm and turn them into a song for God and talk of all His wonderful works;  it’s a way of saying “thank you.” 1 Chronicles 16 : 8-9

Fear (respect, reverence) Him above all gods and recognize that He is glorious and strong.! We should always take Him an offering, go before Him and worship Him.  1 Chronicles 16 : 26, 28, 29 

I found something really amazing in my search;  that when you begin to say the things that will happen in the future (prophesy) it is also a way of thanking God. So then we should consciously start saying the beautiful things that we want to happen in the future and know that what we are really doing is thanking God. 1 Chronicles 25:3

Have you made a vow? Paying it up is a way of saying, “Lord, I thank you” Psalms 50:14

Are you telling your children and grand children about Him yet? You should, you know.  Tell them about what He has already done. Its a way of thanking God too. Psalms 79:13

Now wait for this, I also discovered that thanking God has the multiplier effect!  That’s right!  See what happened when Jesus gave thanks for two pieces of fish and seven loaves of bread; He did not complain and whine to daddy about how He would feed the teeming crowd. He looked at what He had in his hands and simply gave thanks. And immediately bread and fish were multiplied in unprecedented proportions so much so that after feeding thousands, there were left overs.

“And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.“ Matthew  15:36 KJV

And this is what God has to say in Jeremiah 30:19. All the versions said it nicely but I found this so appropriate. It’s from the  New American Standard Bible

“From them will proceed thanksgiving And the voice of those who celebrate; And I will multiply them and they will not be diminished; I will also honor them and they will not be insignificant.” 

Thanksgiving time should be celebration time. A time to be cheerful, full of smiles and laughter. A time to sing and dance and rejoice.  A time to play on the piano, keyboard,  guitar, drums and a time to shake our tambourines and that beautifully beaded gourd the “shekere”. A time to clap our hands and leap and jump for joy. Perhaps a time to nod to the beat of the music; a time to lift up our hands in total surrender or just lay down flat before him in adoration.

I am still looking for one hundred ways (what about you?) but with what I have thus far; “I give thanks to Thee, O God”.

Oluyinka Ego-Martins ©