This Thanksgiving: Overflowing with Gratitude
By Michael Duncan
“With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say in that day: ‘Give thanks to the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth. Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.’” (Isaiah 12:3-6)
In this season of Thanksgiving, as we consider all that the LORD has done for us, we must take time to rejoice. The one who is born-again is filled with such joy in the LORD that they cannot help but spill it over into the channels of their life. Homes, places of employment, and especially houses of worship become ample riverbeds where the rushing waters of joy can spill out of the heart of any believer. As we consider our text for today, may our lives overflow with gratitude for all that Christ has done.
Let us first partake of the well
Our text begins, “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” Jesus told Israel’s teacher, “You must be born-again” (John 3:7). These words of Jesus are not just spiritual sentimentalism but an absolute necessity. For you to overflow with the life of Christ you need to drink deep at the well of salvation. We hear from our LORD in John 4:14 as He speaks with the woman at the well, “but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
We will then praise with thanksgiving
Our text today continues, “And you will say in that day: ‘Give thanks to the LORD.’” This might be the first expression of the one who is born again. At every point where Jesus sets a person free, there is always an overflowing gratitude for His mercy and grace. Let it be so for the greatest deliverance of all, our rescue from sin and death and hell. How can you not say “thanks” to God for His indescribable gift? A heart of gratitude always follows a life reborn. We read in Psalm 118:21, “I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.”
We shall offer prayers in His name
The next statement in our text is simple but filled with profound meaning: “call upon his name.” Prayer is to draw our heart near to God to receive as well as to express the issues of life. How precious it is when a child begins to speak to his parents—more so when the child of God begins to speak with God. We are privileged to call upon His name, for He has opened the way for us to always enter into His presence through prayer. We read in John 16:24, “Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”
With enthusiasm, let us proclaim Him among the nations
Our text continues, “make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted.” When you love the LORD, how can you not tell somebody? Proclaiming the LORD Jesus should be the natural outflow of a heart that belongs to Him. Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 5:20, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”
Let us then praise Him with joy
Our text concludes with this: “Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth. Shout, and sing for joy.” Do you have a song in your heart? Joy is the hallmark of a heart filled with Christ. Not artificial giddiness or superficial cheerfulness but a deep joy that resonates through your life as you praise the LORD. God is our Savior! How can we remain under a cloud of gloom when we have been redeemed? The great apostle tells us in Ephesians 5:18-20, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the LORD with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our LORD Jesus Christ.” The lost might find their temporary joys in the intoxications of this world, but as Christians we have a far more glorious life to draw upon for our needed joy.
The Psalmist writes in Psalm 107:1-3, “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.”
And, beloved, let this be the theme of our lives, as we take this time to give thanks to the LORD.
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael
Above faith content originally published at AuthorMichaelDuncan.com: Overflowing with Gratitude
Michael Duncan is a husband, father… and even a grandfather!
He is a pastor and an author. Among other things he is and has done, he states on his website:
“One thing more, of greater worth than all the above, I am born again through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I was a wretched sinner when Jesus found me, and through His word revealed His mercy and grace to me. He willingly took my place and suffered the full wrath of God upon the cross and died in my place, then three days later He rose from the grave. Out of His great love He did this so that those who repent and put their faith in Him would have their sins forgiven on His account, be set free from the eternal wrath of God, have His righteousness given to them, and a secure place forever in eternal glory. This is who I am...
I am a Christian.”