Give Thanks

Give Thanks to God. Why and For What?
by John Park, UYWI

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good,
His love endures forever

This are the words echoed by all Israel when the ark of God is brought into the city of David after defeating the Philistines in 1 Chronicles 16. This is a big moment for all Israel as the ark comes into Jerusalem. In other words, it’s a time to celebrate!

In America, the Thanksgiving holiday is fast approaching and is traditionally a time where it is encouraged to give thanks, take pictures of huge plates of food to post on social media and even gather with family to watch some football. All this is done in the namesake of Thanksgiving, to give thanks.

But what does it mean to give thanks? Simply put, giving thanks is a response to show gratitude. It begins with first recognizing what you have received in order to make a response. In 1 Chronicles 16, David appoints people to give praise and thanks to God for all that He has done. They come up with these words that still ring true to this day

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good,
His love endures forever

They express their gratitude for God’s deliverance, provision and protection and most of all His love, all because God is good.

Now it’s our turn.  UYWI give thanks to God for each urban youth worker that is reaching students in churches, schools and neighborhoods with the life changing Gospel of Christ. You are making a difference for God’s kingdom.

So now we want to ask you, what do you give thanks to God for?

To help you out, here are
3 Things to Give Thanks to God For

  1. Your Students and Local Community – God has given you young people to reach with the Gospel of Jesus both in the church and outside of it. Give thanks to God for the blessing of ministering to young people for God’s kingdom cause, even if they drive you up the wall sometimes!
  2. Mentors and Leaders in your life – God has placed people in your life to help you through the trenches of ministry. Give thanks to God for these people who advise you, pray for you and sharpen you to reach students with the Gospel.
  3. Lost Young People – Some of them may come to your youth ministry, others may be rebellious, opposed to God and cause you heartache for their resistance to the Gospel. Give thanks to God that these young people are in your life because it keep you dependent on God for their transformation and believing in faith for the work of salvation to happen in their hearts by the work of the Holy Spirit.

So take a moment right now to slow down, reflect and pray. Give thanks to God for these 3 groups of people and celebrate what God has given you.

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