Praise and Thanksgiving

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! For His mercy endures forever. Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords! For His mercy endures forever: To Him who alone does great wonders, For His mercy endures forever; To Him who by wisdom made the heavens, For His mercy endures forever; To Him who laid out the earth above the waters, For His mercy endures forever; To Him who made great lights, For His mercy endures forever—The sun to rule by day, For His mercy endures forever; The moon and stars to rule by night, For His mercy endures forever. … Who remembered us in our lowly state, For His mercy endures forever; And rescued us from our enemies, For His mercy endures forever; Who gives food to all flesh, For His mercy endures forever. Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven! For His mercy endures forever.

Psalm 136:1-9,23-26

What do you get from being angry with God?

 When you are angry with God, you are upset because you cannot control Him. He allows things to happen that demonstrate that you are not in control of Him or your situations. While you are not in complete control of your situations, you are in control of your reactions. You can focus on your enemies and your lowly state, or you can focus on God’s mercies and provisions. When you focus on your enemies and your situation, you allow them to have control over you and you become angry at God. When you choose to focus on God, situations lose control over you and you are free to be thankful for what you have. When life situations happen to you, the longer you hold on to anger at the situation, person, or even God, the more depressed, resentful and unhappy you will be. The faster you become at finding God’s mercy and presence in whatever situation you are in, the happier and free you will become.

Praise and thanksgiving are your spiritual immune system.

Just as anger leads to depression, sickness and brokenness, so thankfulness leads to wholeness, health and joyfulness. God’s mercies endure forever, so your praise and thanksgiving can also endure forever. Just as your body does better when you put good food into it instead of junk food, your soul does better when you put praise into it instead of bitterness. 

What shall I say? He has both spoken to me, and He Himself has done it. I shall walk carefully all my years in the bitterness of my soul. O Lord, by these things men live; and in all these things is the life of my spirit; so You will restore me and make me live. Indeed it was for my own peace that I had great bitterness; but You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back. For Sheol cannot thank You, death cannot praise You; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your truth. the living, the living man, he shall praise You, as I do this day; the father shall make known Your truth to the children. Isaiah 38:15-19

Let praise and thanksgiving build your spiritual immune system.

Self-sacrifice is giving up something you want for something you want more.

Self-sacrifice is giving up what you would naturally do for something you want more. If you want life and health, you will give up your natural response of anger when situations don’t go your way, The more you want life and health, the more you will be diligent to train yourself to pursue thanksgiving and praise. you may want to react in anger, but if you want to praise God more than respond to your reactions, you will be able to find His mercy when the world is unmerciful.