Thanks

Jesus gave thanks: 
Matthew 11:25, Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.”

Matthew 15:36, And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude.

Matthew 26:27, Then He took the cup, and gave thanks.

John 11:41, And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.” 

Do you give thanks before meals – in public?

God expects us to give thanks:
Hebrews 13:15, Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.

Psalm 107:31, Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!

If saved – we ought to be overwhelmed with thanks – we were dead in trespasses and sins, held by cords of sin, slaves to sin, without hope, lost in the dark, and children of wrath.  What a salvation!  And then what a journey with His leading, protecting, and empowering – thanks is a must!

Colossians 2:6-7, As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

Our thanks should be bold both upward and outward:
Psalm 9:1, I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works.

Psalm 26:7, That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all Your wondrous works.

What are His wondrous works?  Can you name three or ten or a bunch?  Maybe there aren’t a bunch!  Really?  My, my, daily He loads us with benefits.  Psalm 68:19, Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits.  Open your fridge door and start naming the benefits.  Look in the mirror and start naming the benefits.  You drove somewhere today on $2 gas, good tires, good roads, and in comfort with no accident.  “Count your many blessings – name them one by one!”  Teach your children to see benefits and declare thanks to God, to you, and to others!  (Do they thank you for their clothes, their food, your rebukes?)

Leviticus 22:29, And when you offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord, offer it of your own free will.  We should give thanks with NO prompting.  Far too often I hear parents having to remind their children to say, “Thank you”.  They should learn to give a timely and hardy “Thank you” by your example and by your edict and discipline when they don’t.  I am richly blessed by those who quickly shoot back “Thanks” and “Thank you.”  To not do so is not appealing.

To not be thankful is a mark of the non-believer:
Romans 1:20-21, For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

May we never be like them – those who are unthankful and thus have empty thoughts and lack wisdom.  Those truly saved are deeply thankful and it spills forth from them over and over.