Brethren it’s the last day of 2023, if not for anything, we need to thank God for life but I believe we have many reasons to thank the Almighty God, our Provider, our Shield, Our Buckler.

As we say bye-bye to year 2023, we have numerous reasons to thank the Invisible God that has done countless visible and invisible things to us,

Psalm 136 vs. 1-4 ( KJV): “ O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever.

O give thanks unto the God of gods:  for his mercy  endureth forever.

O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth forever.

To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever”.

Brethren, you escaped armed robbery, you were not kidnapped, you were not killed in a car crash, you had something to eat every day, your body is not in the mortuary on a day like this,  do you still think you have no reason to thank God?  I’m sure you wouldn’t say there is no reason to be grateful to God.

When we express gratitude, it is not only for what we have received, but also for what we expect from God.

Thanksgiving on the other hand is usually for what we have received from God and other people.

Gratitude is deeper than thanksgiving.

Brethren, if you still have life, even if you lost young relations, even if you lost your spouse in the out going year, create a space in your heart to  show gratitude to the Almighty God.

For now,  I urge  you to look away from challenges.   For the next month or so, forget about barrenness, single life and other challenges.

Open your mouth and praise the Lord for who He is. By doing so, you are expressing confidence in the ability of God that call do all things.

Beloved, you may have been praying and still expecting results, this season  move from prayer to thanksgiving.

When we give thanks to God, we draw His attention and he sees in us, grateful hearts.

Those who give thanks, usually have God meet them beyond their expectations.

This shall be your portion in the remaining hours of this year and in the New Year in Jesus name.

When we give thanks, we receive multiple blessings.

Our Lord Jesus confirmed this in John 6 vs. 9-13: “ There is a lad here, which hath  five barley loaves,  and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?

And Jesus said, Make the men sit down.  Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.

And Jesus took  the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed  to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.

When they  were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.

Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five  barley loaves, which  remained  over and above unto them that had eaten”.

The point here is that a little was available.  Jesus knew that to meet the needs of the people at that  particular time, he needed  more.

Rather than pray, Jesus gave thanks to God for what was available and the result was that he not only got what he needed but had  extra .

This is all the confirmation we need that when we give thanks for the level we are today, gratitude takes us to the next level.

Brethren, the year 2023 has a few hours left before it expires.   With thanksgiving,  your miracle is still possible.

The Holy Bible emphasizes thanksgiving.

Ist Thessalonians 5 vs. 18: “ In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you”.

The preceding verse 17 simply states: Pray without ceasing”.

If prayer were enough, there wouldn’t have been verse 18 that  instructed us  to give thanks  to God in whatever  situation we find ourselves.

Another example of someone that gave thanks and  got more is found in  the  story of the 10 lepers .

For our  purpose, we’ll consider  Luke 17 vs. 14 – 17: “ And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

And one of them, when  he saw that he was healed, turned back, with a loud voice glorified God,

And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

Let’s see what  followed his thanksgiving  in verse 19 . “ And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole”

To be made whole is a higher level of healing.  To be made whole means that the body is Divinely immune from all diseases.

Brethren, a Christian that does not know how  to give thanks may have his or miracle delayed.

Let’s learn to give thanks for what we have even as we look forward to what we desire.

Despite all the battles he faced in his life time, King David was a man that expressed gratitude to the Lord at all times.

We’ll take a look at some of the many Psalms of David in which he gave thanks to God.

Psalm 9 vs. 1: “ I will  praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all the marvelous works.

I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing  praise  to thy name, O thou most High”.

David was a man that had a lot of challenges.   Even from his household, he faced challenges.  The most  worrisome for him was that of King Saul for whom he was hired to sing  to in order to have an evil spirit depart from him yet David didn’t stop praising and giving thanks to God.

Psalm 69 vs. 29-31: “ But I am poor and sorrowful: let thy salvation, O God , set me up on high.

I will praise the  name  of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.

This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs”.

We should never allow challenges distance us from God.     

Whatever we are going through, we must be thankful for what God has seen us through.

King David, knows the power of thanksgiving and he urges us all to do the same.

Psalm 95 vs. 1&2: “ Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him  with music and song”.

Brethren as the year winds down and we look forward to year 2024, let gratitude be your attitude.

Let’s open the gates of  Year 2024 with thanksgiving to God .

When God sees our hearts of gratitude, we are sure, we would  get  the LORD’s attention.

Psalm 100 vs. 1-3 says it all.

“ Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Brethren, let’s thank the LORD that has seen us through 2023.

Editor’s note-  We thank all our faithful readers, 2024 shall be our  year of overflowing blesings in Jesus name.

Happy New Year!