
December 16, 2024
"For in death there is no remembrance of You;
In the grave who will give You thanks? "
- Psalm 6:5 (NKJV)
Thanksgiving is not just an act of gratitude – it's an alignment with life itself. As Psalm 6:5 points out, it is only the living who can thank and praise God. The dead remain silent. Therefore, when we express gratitude, we are aligning ourselves with the living both physically and spiritually.
In many ways, remaining silent in moments when praise and thanksgiving are due is like aligning oneself with death. When you come to church or any place of worship, and there is a call to praise God, remaining quiet is a misalignment of spirit. It's in the grave where no one praises the Lord, but as long as we have breath, our response should be one of thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving has the power to realign anything that seems to be fading or dying in your life with the living. If something is declining – a relationship, a business, your health – you can realign it by thanking God for it. Gratitude invites the life-giving presence of God into that situation.
Consider Psalm 115:17 (NKJV) which says, "The dead do not praise the Lord, nor any who go down into silence." Silence in worship or gratitude is a wrong alignment. To stay aligned with life, we must consistently engage in praise and thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving has the power to realign anything that seems to be fading or dying.
The closer you draw to God, the more thankful you become. In Revelation 4:9-10, the four living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to God, and immediately following, worship begins. Thanksgiving often leads us into deeper worship. As we thank God for His goodness, our hearts overflow into worship. Thanksgiving, praise, and worship are interconnected – one leads into the other.
In John 11:41-43, Jesus thanked God at Lazarus' tomb. Who thanks God at a grave? Jesus knew that thanking God realigns situations with life. By giving thanks, He invited God’s power to resurrect Lazarus. The same principle applies to us. If anything in your life seems lost or dead, thanking God can bring it back to life.
Psalm 118:17 (NKJV) says, "I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord." Our choice to declare God’s works – to be thankful and testify of His goodness – keeps us aligned with life. To keep things alive, whether it's your joy, your dreams, or your relationships, you must continually thank God for them.
Song of Worship
Let Everything that has breath; Song by Ron Kenoly
Prayer - Lord, I thank You for giving me life. I realign myself with Your life and power through thanksgiving. Anything in my life that seems to be dying, I thank You for I believe that You will bring it back to life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.