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Hear the Word of the Lord: “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”  Paul understood the power of thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving is a command of God for every Christian.  It is an expression of humility and joy at the reception of the goodness of God manifested in the bestowal of His grace.  God’s grace is a windfall for every person who experiences it.  The goodness of God is overwhelming.  God’s grace saves us (Eph. 2:8-9) and it sustains us (II Cor. 9:8).
Since God’s grace is given to us on a daily basis, we should be thankful for everything we receive from Him.  This means a daily renewal of thanksgiving.
The Power of Thanksgiving To Transform Us (Its Humbling Effect)
When someone from whom you have no right to expect anything, gives you everything, it is a humbling experience.  God’s lovingkindness is like that.  It is grace.  God is its source.  God is infinite in His goodness.  When we taste of the heavenly gift (Heb. 6:4), the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord, we are humbled.  The gift of God’s Son (John 3:16) is the unspeakable gift (II Cor. 9:15).  The gift of salvation through Jesus Christ is priceless!  Truly, the windows of heaven are opened to us.  Our salvation through Jesus, opens the door to every spiritual gift (Eph. 1:3).  All spiritual blessings are in Christ.  God withholds nothing.  He gives us everything.  Then, if we put the kingdom of God and His righteousness first in our lives, all of the temporal blessings are given to us (Matthew 6:33).  God saves us.  Then, He sustains us.  Both acts of God are humbling.  We know we are not worthy.  Yet, God enriches us with every good and perfect gift (James 1:17).
The Power of Thanksgiving To Connect Us To God (Its Reconciling Effect)
The goodness of God pulls us in God’s direction.  The goodness of God leads us to repentance (Rom. 2:4-6).  He loved us first, then, if we respond to His love as we should, we love Him back (I John 4:19).  He manifests His long-suffering toward us (II Pet. 3:9).  He reveals His grace to us (Titus 2:11-12).  The impenitent despise the goodness of God.  The impenitent are also unbelievers.  Unbelievers harden their hearts against God.  But, at the same time, they act in such a way as to contradict their own best interests.  This is self-defeating.  It also denies God’s goodness.  The good and honest heart responds positively to God’s love and to His grace.  The human soul needs God’s saving power.  The human heart needs God’s grace.  Gratitude to God makes us look up to God from whence cometh our salvation.  We connect with God when we obey the commandments He has given to us through His Son in the New Testament–the Law of Christ (Rom. 8:1-2).  We can enter into covenant relationship with God by recognizing His goodness toward us and humbling ourselves in His sight.   Through thanksgiving we complete the circle of fellowship with God.  We recognize His goodness and receive it with meekness.
The Power of Thanksgiving To Change Our Perspective (Its Optimistic Effect)
Are you weary?  Are you heavy hearted?  Are you inundated by the evil that surrounds us?  Take heart, focus on God’s goodness.  Put on “God’s goodness” glasses and it will change your perspective.  Start by observing God’s blessings in your life.  Count your many blessings.  Name them one by one:  daily bread, shelter, clothing, answered prayers, material means, the good done to you by others, natural resources: sun, earth, rain, and the air we breathe, redemption, salvation, and justification to name a few.  We are truly rich toward God (II Cor. 8:9).  Do you describe yourself as rich?  Put on “God’s goodness” glasses and you will see just how blessed you really are.
The Power of Thanksgiving To Increase Contentment (Its Peacemaking Effect)
Covetousness is a robber.  It robs of inner peace.  It robs God of His rightful place in our hearts (Col. 3:5).  The insatiable appetites of the flesh war against the soul (I Pet. 2:11).  This struggle within us is resolved only when we can slay covetousness and replace it with contentment.  Godliness with contentment is great gain! (I Tim. 6:6).  Contentment is being satisfied with God’s sufficiency for our lives.  God’s sufficiency is His grace.  Our lives do not consist of the abundance of the things that we possess (Luke 12:15).  We need to be able to say, “It is enough.”  Only then, will we have peace.
The Power of Thanksgiving To Deepen Relationships (Its Unifying Effect)
Gratitude helps us recognize the value of others to us.  Gratitude cements relationships with others.  We recognize their value to us.  We need each other.  In I Cor. 12:14, Paul emphasizes that the body of Christ is comprised of many members.  Each of these members has a function.  But, it does not function just for itself.  It functions for the benefit of the whole body.  Our giftedness is a blessing to the whole body and is not to be a source of envy within the body of Christ. We are spiritual united in Christ when we are baptized into Christ (I Cor. 12:13).  We are spiritually united to each other.  Gratitude recognizes this fellowship and helps form a bond that keeps us united.  This interdependency in the body of Christ makes us stronger and more productive.
Gratitude is a powerful attitude that benefits us personally and positively affects all of our relationships.  Unleash this power in your own life and see how it affects your relationship with God, molds your own character, and strengthens relationships with others.

Michael Card wrote, Inexpressible: Hesed and the Mystery of God’s Lovingkindness. This book is an informative and inspirational study of the Hebrew word hesed (pronounced Khesed).  This word is found nearly 250 times in the Old Testament.  It is found in every division of Old Testament books including the Law, the Prophets and the Writings.  It is found more in the Psalms that any other book of the Old Testament (127 times).  This word is a “golden thread” that runs through the Old Testament.  It reveals the heart of God.  Card has produced a word study that is an effort to capture the essence of the meaning of a word that is beyond definition.  On the opening page, the author gives us 110 different words and phrases that attempt to capture its meaning.  This book is a resource of biblical information and it inspires us to imitate God’s lovingkindness to help repair the corruption that is within us and in the world.  I have uploaded a book review of this title on my Book Reviews page.

The friendship of David and Jonathan is one of the purest in the entire Bible.  Friendship is a relationship of mutual affection.  Friendship is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than either acquaintance or co-worker.  Jeremy Taylor defines friendship in the following manner, “By friendship you mean the greatest love, the greatest usefulness, the most open communication, the noblest sufferings, the severest truth, the heartiest counsel, and the greatest union of minds of which brave men and women are capable.”
The Relationship Between David and Jonathan
In I Samuel 13:3; and 14:1-14, there is a depiction of the heroism of Jonathan and his armor bearer.  Together, they destroyed a Philistine garrison of twenty men.  Before Jonathan approaches the Philistines, he establishes a sign that would indicate that God would deliver the enemy into their hands.  When the sign was confirmed, Jonathan and his armor bearer fought and won the battle.  David demonstrates his fearless fighting ability by fighting the giant Goliath and killing him (I Samuel 17).  David and Jonathan were both fearless warriors.  Both men loved each other as friends.  Both men respected each other and trusted each other.  Both men had a strong faith in God.  This spiritual bond played a significant role in their relationship.
The Covenant of Mercy
In I Samuel 20:8 and 14-17, David and Jonathan express a covenant of mercy between them.  David sought the preservation of his life from Saul, Jonathan’s father.  Jonathan sought David’s goodwill toward himself and his descendants.  Jonathan remained loyal to David even as David rose in prominence.  Jonathan should rightly have become king.  But Jonathan accepts God’s choice of David to be the next king in Israel.  Consequently, he does not envy David nor become a rival to him as Saul had done.  Jonathan seeks to preserve David’s life and so preserve David’s place in Israel’s history.  Giving place to David is an act of lovingkindness or hesed on Jonathan’s part.  David and Jonathan have internalized God’s mercy in their own lives.  Both had been the recipients of God’s mercy and now they have internalized it in their own relationship with each other.  Hesed has been defined as, “when the person from whom I have no right to expect anything, gives me everything” (Michael Card).  Hesed is grace, mercy, lovingkindness.  When this principle functions in a relationship and is motivated by love, it unleashes a powerful bond that will last a lifetime and beyond.  This is the key to lifetime friendship.
The Covenant of Mercy and Reciprocity
Once a covenant of mercy is established between two people on the basis of love, there is mutuality.  The one who is initially shown hesed naturally demonstrates hesed in return.  This is not a legal expectation.  It is based upon love which acts freely.  Reciprocity is an indication that both parties in a friendship have internalized the truth of hesed.  Hesed is relational.  Its power in a relationship is increased when it is reciprocated.  It becomes the principle upon which the friendship functions.  If hesed is not returned by you in gratitude, you have not understood the nature of hesed shown to you in the first place.  The failure to reciprocate hesed disappoints the person who has shown hesed.  When mutual reciprocity of hesed is active in a relationship, the relationship endures all the ups and downs and good times and bad times presented by external circumstances.  Even after Jonathan died in battle at the same time as his father, Saul, David continued to show mercy to his descendants.  This demonstrates the power of the covenant of mercy between David and Jonathan (see Michael Card, Inexpressible: Hesed and the Mystery of God’s Lovingkindness).
Hesed and You
When hesed is experienced in our relationship with God, we taste of the heavenly gifts of mercy and grace (Heb. 6:4).  We have no right to expect anything from God, but He gives us everything!  Motivated by love, God gives us every spiritual blessing through His Son, Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:3).  We become heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:16-17). We receive the forgiveness of our sins when we obey the gospel (Acts 2:38, Rom. 6:4 and 17).  We become the children of God (Gal. 3:26-27).  Truly, God is rich in grace and mercy toward us (Eph. 1:7, 2:4). When we internalize God’s mercy and imitate Him in manifesting hesed, we display the divine nature in our relationships with others.  We unleash the power of love and mercy in all of our relationships and we have the potential to form bonds that will last a lifetime and beyond!

In Luke 7:1-10, Luke records a message received by Jesus from a Roman soldier–a centurion.  The man was a God-fearer.  He was known among the elders of the Jews in the city of Capernaum.  Capernaum is Jesus’ temporary home.  It is located on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee and functioned primarily as a fishing village.
The Request
The centurion has a servant that is very sick. He believes that Jesus can heal his servant.  He sends his request to Jesus through the elders of the Jews.  The elders tell Jesus that the man is worthy of a miracle because he has helped support the Jewish religion and had built them a synagogue.  Jesus went with them.

The Request Enhanced.
As Jesus neared the centurion’s house, his friends met Jesus with a message.  They were instructed to tell Jesus, “Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof. Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee:  but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed (vv. 6-7).  The centurion said, “I am not worthy.”  The elders of the Jews said, “He is worthy.”  The plea of the centurion is from someone who is keenly aware of his own unworthiness and, yet, he asked for a special blessing from Jesus.  Say in a word and my servant shall be healed. The centurion trusts in the power of Jesus’ words to heal his servant.  He understands that Jesus possess special authority.  As a centurion, he has commanded both his servants and his soldiers to come or to go and they obeyed him.  He believes that Jesus has authority that can be communicated by His words to heal his servant.

Jesus Marvels
“When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, “I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel” (v. 9).  Luke uses seven different Greek words to capture the amazement of characters in his gospel.  The shepherds were amazed and so were Joseph and Mary.  The people of Nazareth and the residents of Capernaum were amazed.  But, this is the only time that Jesus marvels in Luke’s gospel. The Greek word translated marvel is ekthaumazō.  This is an intensive form of thaumazō.  It means to wonder or to marvel.  It refers to the astonishment of the mind.  Why did Jesus marvel?  The answer is given by Jesus.  The centurion’s faith was great.  Faith is dynamic.  Sometimes it is weak or little and sometimes it is strong or great.  The centurion’s faith involved trust in Jesus’ true identity, the authority with which Jesus could speak and the lovingkindness which characterized the heart of Jesus.  It is the faith of one who is unworthy seeking a special blessing and confident in the asking because of certain knowledge of the heart of God.  Jesus is surprised by great faith in an unexpected heart.

The Heart of God
God, by grace, is willing to give us everything when we are deserving of nothing.  God’s mercies are great and continually available to us.  The bigness that characterizes God’s heart must be met with a greatness in our faith.  Faith that works by love (Gal. 5:6).  Faith that obeys God’s will (Rom. 1:5).  Faith that knows God. Faith that trusts in the power of God’s Word.  Faith that trusts in the lovingkindness which characterizes the heart of God.   Such faith is not fearful of asking God for great and good things even though it is found in a heart that is unworthy.

Consider some thoughts from II Cor. 9:11-15.  Paul focuses on the contribution that he has been collecting for the poor saints and others in Judea.  He mentions four key concepts:  grace, gratitude, generosity and glorification of God.  As he develops each of these concepts, he defines a grateful heart.
A Grateful Heart is God-Centered
A grateful heart recognizes God as the ultimate source of every good and every perfect gift (James 1:17).  A grateful heart readily admits dependence upon God.  Ingratitude insists upon self-sufficiency rather than God-sufficiency.  God enriches us with a bounty of blessings.  His infinite goodness is freely manifested in the wonderful riches that He gives to us.  This includes both physical and spiritual blessings.  The chief gift that God gives is His Son (II Cor. 9:15).  Ingratitude breeds independence from God rather than dependence on God. Simply put, the ungrateful do not see their need of God.  However, they could not live even a single day without God.  Ingratitude shows a heart that has forgotten God.  This was the very thing that Moses warned Israel about in Deut. 8:6-20.
A Grateful Heart Is a Humble Heart
Those who despise God’s goodness manifest impenitence (Rom. 2:4-6).  Unbelief produces impenitence.  Impenitence is due to man’s pride.  Unbelief, impenitence and pride produce ingratitude.  Gratitude shows humility.  Humility leads to a recognition of the need for God and the redemption that He supplies through Jesus Christ.  Godly sorrow precedes repentance (II Cor. 7:10).  Repentance precedes reconciliation to God.  Through reconciliation to God we can stand in His divine favor (grace).
A Grateful Heart is a Devoted Heart
Thanksgiving to God is manifested in praise and prayer.  Praise and prayer are integral elements of our worship of God.  In praise and prayer, God is glorified.  Worship is an act of gratitude to God.  The ungrateful do not draw nigh to God.  They fail to see any connection between who they are and what they have acquired and God.
A Grateful Heart is a Generous Heart
Paul writes concerning “this ministration” i.e. the work of gathering a contribution to help the poor saints and others in Judea.  The church became a channel of blessing to others.  The generosity of the churches resulted in many thank to God and God was glorified.  Ingratitude robs God of the glory due His name.  Ingratitude leads to selfishness and others suffer because of the failure to show a generous spirit.
A Grateful Heart is a Compassionate Heart
A grateful heart is a warm heart.  A grateful heart is full of compassion.  A compassionate heart can be moved by the needs of others.  Ingratitude produces cold heartedness.   Remember Scrouge?  Scrouge was miserly, stingy, cold hearted and lonely.  His greed isolated him from others and produced a darkness in his soul.
The Greatest Gift
The greatest gift deserves the greatest thanks.  God gave His Son.  Jesus gave His life for us.  This spiritual windfall leaves us speechless.  “But thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.”  Through God’s grace we are enriched unto all bountifulness.  God’s grace produces a grateful heart.  This is the heart of a Christian!

American writers Joshua Glenn and Rob Walker recently conducted an experiment that they called “Significant Objects.”  They bought worthless knickknacks at flea markets or antique stores, contacted a fiction writer to write a story about each object, and then resold the items on Ebay.  For example, an ugly plastic Russian doll, bought at a flea market for $3 was given to writer Doug Dorst.  Dorst wrote a story about a Russian woodcutter named Vralkomir who saved his village from freezing one winter by dancing on a pile of wood until it burst into flames.  The doll with the story sold on Ebay for $193.  In total, Glenn and Walker sold $128.74 worth of useless junk for $3,612.51.  The stories gave the objects a 2,706 percent increase in value (Popologetics, Ted Turnau, p. 11).
The power of a story is reinforced by the hymn, “Tell Me The Old, Old Story.”  This hymn was written by A. Katherine Hankey, of London, in 1866.  It has been translated into many different languages and has been set to different tunes.  Dr. W. Howard Doane (1832-1915) has this to say regarding the music by which it has become popular and the occasion on which he composed it: “In 1867 I was attending the International Convention of the Young Men’s Christian Association, in Montreal.  Among those present was Major-General Russell, then in command of the English force during the Fenian excitement.  He arose in the meeting and recited the words of this song from a sheet of foolscap paper–tears streaming down his bronzed cheeks as he read.  I wrote the music for the song one hot afternoon while on the stage-coach between the Glen Falls House and the Crawford House in the White Mountains.  That evening we sung it in the parlors of the hotel.”

The words to this hymn are:
Tell me the old, old story of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love.
Tell me the story simply, as to a little child,
For I am weak and weary, and helpless and defiled.

Tell me the story slowly, that I may take it in,
That wonderful redemption, God’s remedy for sin.
Tell me the story often, for I forget so soon;
The early dew of morning has passed away at noon.

Tell me the story softly, with earnest tones and grave;
Remember I’m the sinner whom Jesus came to save.
Tell me the story always, if you would really be,
In any time of trouble, a comforter to me.

Tell me the same old story when you have cause to fear
That this world’s empty glory is costing me too dear.
Yes, and when that world’s glory is dawning on my soul,
Tell me the old, old story: “Christ Jesus makes thee whole.”

Refrain
Tell me the old, old story, tell me the old, old story,
Tell me the old, old story, of Jesus and His love.

The content of this story consists of heavenly things.  It is about Jesus and His glory and Jesus and His love.  It is the story of man’s redemption and salvation through a selfless savior.  The content of this story makes it priceless and brings hope and healing to struggling souls.
The presentation of this story is part of the “telling.”  Present it simply “as to a little child.”  Present it slowly “that I may take it in.”  Present it softly, “with earnest tones and grave.”  Present it often, “for I forget so soon.”  Present it always, “if you would really be, in any time of trouble, a comforter to me.”
The story of man’s redemption through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross is the greatest story ever told.
There is only one thing left and that is the reception of it and commitment to the savior by loving obedience to His holy will (Mark 16:15-16).

A key concept related to thanksgiving is reciprocity.  Here are some important elements involved in thanksgiving.
The Benefactor.  The One who is the ultimate source of every good gift and every perfect gift is God!  “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17).  “Father of lights” refers to God as the creator of the greater and lesser lights in the heavens.  God is the creator of all things.  He has the power to bless and the will to bless.
The Gifts.  God gives us our daily bread (Matt. 6:11).  He gives His Son to die for the sins of mankind (the unspeakable gift-II Cor. 9:15).  He gives everlasting life (John 3:16; Matt. 19:29).  He gives love, mercy, and grace (Eph. 2:4-9).  He gives us truth (Eph. 1:9). He gives all spiritual blessings in Christ (Eph. 1:3).  He gives us everything needful to sustain us in this life and in the world to come.
The Blessed.  God acts for the highest good of His special creation–man.  He sends the sunshine and the rain on the just and the unjust (Matt. 5:45).  In a sense, God blesses each person on the earth.  However, in a special sense and in a special way, God blesses His own children.  The people of God are His speical creation (Eph. 2:10).  God bestows the greatest spiritual blessings upon those who are “in Christ” (Eph. 1:3).
The Thankful.  The “thankful” are a special class of people who recognize God’s goodness toward them and reciprocate with gratitude.  The truly blessed give back something to God.  The nature of the gifts they give are different from God’s gifts to them.  But, they give:  (1) their love; (2) their devotion or worship including praise and adoration; (3) their lives in covenant relationship with Him; (4) their service (the labor of their hands including benevolent acts to others; and (5) their loyalty (faithfulness over time).  The thankful have humble hearts that have been touched by God’s grace.  They reciprocate out of sense of being debtors to God for all He has done for them.  Through gratitude they complete the circle of fellowship with God.  The truly thankful are Christians who reciprocate gratitude for God’s grace!