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Thankfulness

Praise & thankfulness vs. murmuring & complaining

1. HAVING A THANKFUL, GRATEFUL ATTITUDE:

A. The Lord wants & expects us to be thankful:

Psa.50:14a – Offer unto God thanksgiving
Psa.95:2 – Come before His presence with thanksgiving
Psa.100:4b – Be thankful unto Him
Psa.140:13 – Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto Thy name
Eph.5:20 – Giving thanks always for all things unto God
Col.3:15b – Be ye thankful
1Thes.5:18 – In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God
(See also Psa.92:1)

B. We should be content:

Phi.4:11 – In whatsoever state I am, therewith…be content
1Tim.6:8 – Having food & raiment let us be therewith content
1Tim.6:6 – Godliness with contentment is great gain
Heb.13:5 – Be content with such things as ye have
(See also Pro.15:16,17)

C. Don’t take God’s blessings for granted:

Psa.68:19 – Blessed be Lord…Who daily loadeth us with benefits
Psa.103:2 – Bless the Lord…& forget not all His benefits
Lk.17:12-18 – Were not ten (lepers) cleansed? where are the nine? (None) returned to give glory to God, save (one)

D. Remember to always thank Him for your blessings:

2Sam.22:49,50 – Thou hast delivered me…therefore I will give thanks
1Chr.16:8 – Give thanks…make known His deeds among the people
Psa.136:1-3 – Give thanks unto God…for His mercy endureth forever
1Cor.15:57 – Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory
2Cor.2:14 – Thanks be unto God, which…causeth us to triumph
(See also Psa.26:7; 107:22.)

2. PRAISING THE LORD:

A. We are admonished to praise the Lord:

Psa.107:8 – Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, & for His wonderful works
Psa.18:3 – The Lord…is worthy to be praised
Psa.22:3 – (God) inhabitest the praises of Israel
Psa.66:8 – O bless our God, ye people, & make the voice of His praise to be heard
Psa.67:3 – O God, let all the people praise Thee
Psa.100:4 – Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, & into His courts with praise
Psa.103:1 – Bless the Lord, O my soul: & all that is within me, bless His holy name
Psa.113:1 – Praise ye the Lord, O ye servants of the Lord
Psa.117:1 – Praise the Lord, all ye nations…all ye people
Psa.147:1 – Praise ye the Lord: for…praise is comely
Psa.150:6 – Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord
Heb.13:15 – Offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually…the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name
1Pet.2:9 – Ye should show forth praises of Him Who called you
(See also Psa.50:23; 148:all; 150:all.)

B. Praise the Lord in song:

Psa.30:4 – Sing unto the Lord…& give thanks
Psa.69:30 – Praise the name of God with a song…& thanksgiving
Psa.92:1 – It is a good thing to…sing praises unto Thy name
Psa.98:1 – Sing unto the Lord a new song
Psa.147:1,7 – Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise
Eph.5:19 – Making melody in your heart to the Lord
Col.3:16 – Singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord

C. Praise the Lord happily:

Psa.5:11 – Let them that love Thy name be joyful in Thee
Psa.95:2b – Make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms
Isa.51:3b – Joy & gladness…thanksgiving, & the voice of melody
Jer.30:19 – Out of them shall proceed thanksgiving & the voice of them that make merry
(See also Psa.100:1; Jer.33:11.)

3. HAVE A CONTINUAL ATTITUDE OF PRAISING GOD:

Heb.13:15 – Let us offer…praise to God continually…our lips giving thanks to His name
Psa.34:1 – I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth
Psa.35:28 – My tongue shall speak of Thy…praise all day long
Psa.71:8 – Let my mouth be filled with Thy praise…all the day
(See also Psa.30:12b; 72:15b; 79:13; 104:33; 113:3.)

4. MURMURING (COMPLAINING) FORBIDDEN BY GOD:

Jn.6:43 – Jesus said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves
1Cor.10:10 – Neither murmur ye, as some of them murmured
Phi.2:14 – Do all things without murmurings & disputings
(See also Psa.144:14)

5. CAUSES OF MURMURING:

A. Lack of gratitude for what God has given us:

Num.11:4-6,18 – We remember the fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks…now there is nothing at all, beside this manna
Num.21:4,5 – There is no bread…& our soul loatheth this (manna)

B. Lack of faith for God to supply our needs:

Exo.16:2,3 – The whole congregation…murmured against Moses…in the wilderness [when they ran out of food]
Exo.17:1-4 – People thirsted…& murmured…thou brought us out of Egypt, to kill us with thirst
(See also Exo.15:23,24)

C. Loss of faith in God’s Word & His power:

Psa.106:24,25 – They believed not His Word…but murmured
Jn.6:60-66 – Many disciples said, This is an hard saying…His disciples murmured…many went back
(Compare Exo.3:4-8; 4:30,31; 14:9-12.)
(Compare Deut.1:19-27; Num.14:1-11.)

D. Giving up & losing hope:

1Sam.27:1 – David said, “I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul”
1Ki.19:1-4,10 – Elijah…requested that he might die
Jer.20:14-18 – Cursed be the day I was born…wherefore came I…out of the womb to see labour & sorrow?
Jon.4:1-9 – Jonah prayed, Take my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live
(See also Job 7:6,11; 10:1.)

E. Lack of faith that God loves us:

Deut.1:27 – Ye murmured, & said, Because the Lord hated us, He brought us [to Canaan] to destroy us
(See also Psa.73:13,14; 77:1-9.)

F. Thinking that God is far away & doesn’t hear:

Job 23:2-9 – Today is my complaint bitter: Oh that I knew where I might find Him. I cannot perceive Him
Psa.10:1 – Why standest Thou afar off, O Lord? Why hidest Thou?
(See also Psa.13:1; 22:1,2.)

G. Self-righteously judging others:

Mk.14:4-10 – Why was this waste…made? For it might have been sold…they murmured. Judas…went to betray Him
Lk.15:2 – The Pharisees murmured, This man receiveth sinners
Lk.19:7 – When [Pharisees] saw it, they all murmured, He [has] gone to be a guest with a sinner

6. WHY MURMURING IS DANGEROUS:

A. Murmuring angers God:

Num.11:1 – When the people complained, it displeased the Lord: & His anger was kindled; & fire…consumed them
Num.11:10,33 – [Israelites wailed for meat] & the anger of the Lord kindled greatly…& the Lord smote the people
Num.21:4-6 – The people spake against God…& the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people…& much people died
1Cor.10:10 – Neither murmur ye, as some of them [Israelites] also murmured, & were destroyed of the destroyer
(See also Num.17:10)

B. God may take us at our word:

Num.14:1,2 – All the children of Israel murmured… Would God that we had died in this wilderness
Num.14:26-35 – As ye have spoken, so will I do to you: Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness…even forty years

C. Any murmur is ultimately a murmur against God:

Exo.16:7 – Your murmurings (are) against the Lord: (for) what are we (Moses & Aaron), that ye murmur against us?
Exo.16:8 – Your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord (See also vs. 9-13)
Num.16:11 – (You) are gathered together against the Lord: (for) what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him?

D. It causes others to murmur too:

Num.11:4,5 – [Mixed multitude lusted after meat, & soon the entire camp started murmuring]
Num.13:30-32; 14:36,37 – The (spies) made all the congregation to murmur…by bringing…an evil report (See also Deut.1:27,28)

7. WHAT TO DO WHEN PROBLEMS ARISE:

A. Praise & rejoice even when things go wrong:

Hab.3:17,18 – Although the…fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off… yet will I rejoice in the Lord
Mat.5:11,12 – When men revile you, & persecute you, & say…evil against you falsely…rejoice, & be exceeding glad
Lk.6:22,23 – When men shall hate you…separate you…reproach you…rejoice ye…& leap for joy
Acts 5:40,41 – They called the apostles, & beat them…they departed rejoicing that they were worthy to suffer shame
Acts 16:22-25 – Beat them…cast them into prison…Paul & Silas prayed, & sang praises unto God
1Thes.5:18 – In everything give thanks: this is the will of God
1Pet.4:12,13 – Think it not strange…the fiery trial…but rejoice
(See also Jer.15:10,11,16; Jon.2:all; Phi.4:4.)

B. If you have a genuine deep grievance, tell the Lord:

Psa 55:2,3 – Hear me: I mourn in my complaint, & make a noise… because of the enemy…my heart is sore pained
Psa.55:22 – Cast thy burden upon the Lord, & He shall sustain thee
Psa.77:1-4 – I was troubled: I complained, my spirit…over whelmed
Psa.142:all – I poured out my complaint before Him; I showed Him my trouble….my spirit was overwhelmed
1Pet.5:7 – Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you
(See also Heb.4:14-16)

C. Keep on praising & victory is sure to come:

2Chr.20:22 – When they began to sing & to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the (enemy)

D. Keep a thankful attitude in prayer:

Phi.4:6 – By prayer…with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God
Col.4:2 – Continue in prayer…with thanksgiving

E. Have a thankful instead of foolish or vain attitude:

Eph.5:4 – Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting…but rather giving of thanks