Provision Through Thanks
MEMORISE: Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. – 2 Corinthians 9:11
READ: John 6:11-13 (KJV)
11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 13
MESSAGE:
There are many so-called praise songs that are not celebrating the beauty of God’s holiness and are thus unacceptable to the Lord. The sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving can produce abundant prosperity, according to our memory verse today. Let us consider prosperity through the sacrifice of thanks, as we see in today’s Bible reading.
We as children of God need to understand that God has numerous ways by which He can do whatever He says He will. We should not waste our time in trying to pre-empt God or dictating to Him how our blessings or prosperity should come. We are to simply pray for what we want with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6).
When the battle against the children of Israel raged in 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat merely obeyed the voice of the Lord by appointing choristers to sing unto God. Who would have thought that soldiers from the attacking nations would go to war with so many precious jewels and expensive clothes? God had purposed to bless His people because He knew from the onset that they would praise and bless the beauty of His holiness and He had to compensate them for giving Him His due!
Another lesson we must learn from this story is that our praise and worship must be inspired by the Holy Spirit. Some of our so-called songs of praise are from our carnal man, not the Spirit.
“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” – John 4:23-24
When we give God heartfelt praise and worship, He in turn showers us with blessings. However, if we deny Him the praise, He is worthy of, He would also deny us His prosperity. In the text of today, our Lord gave thanks upon five loaves and two fishes; the response of His Father was phenomenal- five thousand men were fed to satisfaction. Many of us are so ungrateful. How blessed we would be if we could learn to offer God the sacrifice of thanks.
Let us cultivate the habit of giving God worthy praise and thanksgiving and He will bless us with abundant prosperity.
ACTION POINT:
Decide to worship God in truth. In spirit and in holiness, giving thanks throughout today as you go about your activities.
HYMN 20: Praise To The Lord The Almighty
1. Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him, for he is your health and salvation!
Come, all who hear; now to his temple draw near,
join me in glad adoration.
2. Praise to the Lord, above all things so wondrously reigning;
sheltering you under his wings, and so gently sustaining!
Have you not seen all that is needful has been
sent by his gracious ordaining?
3. Praise to the Lord, who will prosper your work and defend you;
surely his goodness and mercy shall daily attend you.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
if with his love he befriends you.
4. Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore him!
All that has life and breath, come now with praises before him.
Let the Amen sound from his people again;
gladly forever adore him.
