Selah Sunday:  Translated by some as “Pause – Think About That”

Thanksgiving has come and gone! How did we define it? Eating, Watching the Game, Shopping? Or, with the obligatory giving of thanks – remember, It’s one of the magic words!

My experience – My question
My thanks was not an expression of obligation. It was the natural response to my first and last chance to “fly” a jet fighter aircraft.
And it taught me something about “thanksgiving”, so that when I encountered the question, I had an answer.
The question was prefaced with the statement, “Doesn’t the Bible say God doesn’t need anything?” – yes. “And doesn’t God say we’re not supposed to seek the praise of others?” – yes.
Then why does Scripture tell us we have to give thanks and praise to God? What’s God’s problem?
If we only give thanks because of a command from God – the problem is not with Him.       It’s with our knowing the presence of God.

And, perhaps with our definition of Thanksgiving.

Words for Praise and Thanksgiving

Ephesians 5:18-20  Not filled with wine  reckless, mindless, wild living:
“The life of one who has no regard for safety” When we are under the influence of anything other than God’s Spirit, we place ourselves in danger. 
But, being filled with the Spirit brings to us the “mind” of Christ 
And what is the result? We have the words of Christ to speak and sing to each other; natural praise for Christ and Thanksgiving flows! 
From this word for thanks in the passage we get “eucharist” -  Holy Communion, which is also commonly called “The Great Thanksgiving”.

How do we give thanks for everything? The emphasis is not on the “all” – all the time – for all things, but on the new opportunity, privilege and experience we enjoy of giving thanks to the Father in the name of Jesus – in the fullness and power of the Holy Spirit that make us fully aware of the continual presence of the Father and the Son.

In the most difficult of times God is still present, God still loves me, God still listens to my cry, His powerful grace is still available to me – for that I can’t help but give thanks – all the time.

What if I don’t feel grateful or appreciative. It just seems so hypocritical to give thanks. We must start in the Old Testament.
The word usually translated as Thank is Yadah – but it does not have the root meaning of appreciation or gratitude, but of confession. 

So, it is commonly used of confession of sin
Psalm 32:5 Confess, acknowledge or admit sin.
Then, how does it get translated “give thanks”? Because along with confess, it also means to acknowledge, declare or proclaim. 
When Scripture says, “Give thanks to God” it is exhorting us to confess to Him and others, to acknowledge, declare or proclaim who He is, what He has done, and what He has promised He will do.

As a consequence some translate it as praise, because “giving thanks to God is one way of praising Him”
  
Thanksgiving then, becomes the recognition and subsequent acknowledgement of God’s Person, Provision, and His Promise.

Psalm 100 A “Psalm for Giving Thanks”  Verse 4 – All 3 Words

Bless – Barach – God blesses us, we bless each other, we bless God as the Source and Provider of all blessing
Praise – Hallel – to declare praise, especially in psalm or song.

Yadah – Where we confess, acknowledge, declare or proclaim the greatness of our God!  

Back to the New Testament.

Hebrews 13:15 Which is it – praise, confess, proclaim, give thanks?
All of the above! Same sense as our Old Testament word – Yadah.
It is one “sacrifice” we are privileged to offer to Him.

My life is such a sacrifice!!! I’ve had to give up and go through so much!

So did those to whom this letter was written. 
Instead of seeing sacrifice as what I have to suffer; we should recognize how the new life Christ has given me can be filled with fruitfulness and opportunities to serve in a way that is acceptable and pleasing to God.  And when we recognize that giving thanks is not based in or dependent on our emotional state, but on Who God always is, then we are able to offer this to Him.

So, How Will We Define It? As Thanks, or Praise, Acknowledgement, Confession or Declaration?
However We Do It  - Giving Thanks is never fulfilling an obligation – 
It’s pulling the cork – taking the lid from our hearts, that are to be filled with thanks and praise because of His loving and powerful Presence. 

When we hear the accusing voice – “you hypocrite! You don’t feel very appreciative. Stop giving thanks to God.”
We can say, “I don’t need to feel it – I know it to be true with all my being – all my heart”

And when I acknowledge it, when I confess it, when I proclaim it in thanks and praise to God – it’s funny how that makes me feel!