Thanks Living: Full of = Spontaneous Thanks!

Then Hezekiah answered and said, “Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the Lord, come near, and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the Lord.” So the assembly brought in sacrifices and thank offerings, and as many as were of a willing heart brought burnt offerings. 2 Chronicles 29:31

In 2 Chronicles 29:31, the word "consecrated" means "be full of". We are to "be full of the Lord". As I read that, I could only think of a sponge that is saturated with water. When you poke it, or squeeze it, out oozes water. If I am "full of the Lord", I should be oozing out Christ and a love and respect for Him. 

And if you offer a sacrifice of a peace offering to the Lord, you shall offer it of your own free will. Leviticus 19:5 

Spontaneous, "at your own will".

When was the last time that I presented a spontaneous Thank Offering to God? Oh, it's easy to offer thanks to God after He's given me a blessing or two. But when was the last time I spontaneously offered thanks to God simply because He is God? 

If I truly want to create a mind-set and heart-set of "Thanks Living" then I must develop an overwhelming sense of thanks so that I spontaneously offer Thanks Offerings to God. And that overwhelming sense of thanks, only happens when I am "full of the Lord". 

Thanks Living: Full of = Spontaneous Thanks!

Thanks Living: God is good. Period

Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Psalm 106:1

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Psalm 107:1

Give thanks to the Lord... why? 
Because He is good. 
That's it. 
Simply, because God is good. 
Not because of the benefits that He gives because He is good. 
Simply because of the fact that God is good. 

If God is so good why does He allow bad things to happen? That's an age old question. The only answer I have is that no matter the circumstances, no matter the situation, God remains good. He cannot change. He is good. Period. 

As I have been thinking about Psalm 106:1 and 107:1, and that God is good, I continued to think of God's goodness in relation what I get because of God's goodness. That is NOT what these verses are saying to do. We are to give thanks, simply because God is good—period. Just thanking God that He is good. It's who God is. A characteristic that cannot change. 

The fact that God can be nothing less than who He is reminded me of a post I had written several years ago: (http://createapositiveday.blogspot.com/2011/01/god-is-faithful.html)

God is Faithful

by Rhonda Sawtelle

God, my Confidant, my Savior,
Faithful is His code of behavior.
Steadfast, unchangeable, unshakable.
Being something different—He’s just unable.
I Am can be nothing other than who He is.

True blue, never slow, never wavering.
Rock-solid; forever unchanging.
In the past, He has proven Himself true.
In the present and future, He’ll simply continue.
I Am can be nothing other than who He is.

Promises kept, loyal, reliable, sure.
Awesome faithfulness—without measure.
No role in God’s faithfulness, has human frailty.
Unfaithfulness to God’s Being is contrary.
I Am can be nothing other than who He is.

Unfathomable, incomprehensible,
It is simply and utterly impossible—
Unfaithfulness is not even a choice.
In God’s faithfulness—with assurance—rejoice.
I Am can be nothing other than Who He Is.

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“When God wanted to guarantee his promises, he gave his word, a rock-solid guarantee—God can’t break his word. And because his word cannot change, the promise is likewise unchangeable. We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It’s an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God where Jesus, running on ahead of us, has taken up his permanent post as high priest for us, in the order of Melchizedek.”  Hebrews 6:17-19 (The Message)

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Give thanks..... for God is good. Period. Thanks Living is based on the fact that God is good. Not on things I receive because God is good. Give thanks—for God is good. Period. 

Thanks Living: Appreciate. Acknowledge. Advertise.

Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples! Psalm 105:1

Give thanks: literally, to use (i.e. hold out) the hand; physically, especially to revere or worship (with extended hands—the open one—indicating power, means, direction, etc.)

Call: to call out to (i.e. Properly, address by name) -- invite, mention, preach, (make) proclaim, pronounce, publish, read, renowned, say

Name: honor, authority, character

Make known: to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); observation, recognition; acknowledge, acquainted with, be aware, comprehend, consider, declare, be diligent, discover, endued with, familiar friend, famous, have knowledge, have respect, teach, understand

Deeds: action, doing, invention, occasion, work

Peoples: a people (as a congregated unit); (collectively) troops or attendants; folk, men, nation, people.

Thank God! Pray to him by name! Tell everyone you meet what he has done! Psalm 105:1 (MSG)

When someone does something nice for us, we want to tell everyone we meet. We are excited and often overwhelmed. We will even tell strangers as we wait in check out lines. 

Yet, sadly, we remain silent about all the wonderful things God has done and is doing. 

Notice the order of events that are to take place in Psalm 105:1—

1. Give thanks. Be thankful, appreciative

2. Call upon His name. Say it, in prayer, talk to Him and talk about Him. 

3. Make known His deeds. Observe them, acknowledge them, discover them, understand them and make sure those around you know about them too! 

Thanks Living is first being appreciative of and acknowledging the Giver, then that is followed by advertising the joy with those whom I know and meet. 

Appreciate. Acknowledge. Advertise. Three important "As" in Thanks Living!

Thanks Living: Doing Good!

It is good to give thanks to the Lord, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High. Psalm 92:1

Good: be do better, cheer, be do, seem good, make goodly

Give thanks: literally, to use (i.e. hold out) the hand; physically, especially to revere or worship (with extended hands—the open one—indicating power, means, direction, etc.)

Sing praises: celebrate in song and music -- give praise, sing forth praises, psalms

Name: by implication honor, authority, character

It is good! What is "it"? Giving thanks and praising Almighty God! 

Adoration to the Holy God

Rhonda Sawtelle

To God be the glory, and honor due Your holy Name.

God, the most holy. I meditate on Your majesty.

God, the most holy. I am in awe­—Almighty, Absolute Being

God, the most holy. I glorify Your greatness.

To God be the glory, and honor due Your holy Name.

God, the most holy. I can’t begin to fathom Your faithfulness.

God, the most holy. I marvel at Your mercy.

God, the most holy. I can’t imagine Your immutability. 

To God be the glory, and honor due Your holy Name.

God, the most holy. I treasure Your trustworthiness.

God, the most holy. I give voice to Your goodness.

God, the most holy. I’m wowed by Your wisdom.

To God be the glory, and honor due Your holy Name.

God, the most holy. I am secure in Your sovereignty.

God, the most holy. I am sheltered in Your Self-existence.

God, the most holy. I am galvanized (inspire) by your Grace.

To God be the glory, and honor due Your holy Name.

God, the most holy. I am invigorated by Your infinitude.

God, the most holy. I am overcome by Your omniscience.

God, the most holy. I am humbled by Your holiness.

To God be the glory, and honor due Your holy Name.

Thanks Living starts with "doing good"—giving thanks and praising Almighty God!