Odd title, I know. We usually hear that during Thanksgiving, however after yesterday’s motivation, the very next thing I saw was this short teaching by Joel Osteen.
In First Kings, chapter 18, there had been a drought, a great famine in the land. For three and a half years, the people were struggling, barely making it. The prophet Elijah lived in the land, but he didn’t complain. He didn’t start begging God. Instead, he went on top of Mount Carmel and started thanking God for the rain that was coming. He thanked God that the answer was on the way. He thanked God that the clouds were already starting to form. He was praising God for His faithfulness—I guess you could say…he was singing in the rain!
Elijah sent out his assistant seven times to check for rain. Each time he came back and said, “No rain; not a cloud in the sky.”
Elijah didn’t get discouraged. He didn’t start begging, “Come on, God. I’ve been asking You again and again.” No, Elijah just kept saying, “Lord, thank You for the rain that’s coming. I may not see a way in the natural, but I want to thank You that You are a supernatural God.”
On the seventh time that Elijah sent his assistant to go check for rain, he came back and said, “I saw a small cloud up in the sky this time.”
Elijah said, “You’d better get ready. I can hear the sound of the abundance of rain.”
As Elijah kept thanking God, the heavens opened up. The rain came. The drought was over. The promise came to pass.
Today, you may be in a drought. Don’t complain about it. Don’t keep begging God to change it. Don’t ask again and again for the same thing. Do like Elijah; switch over into praise. Sing in the rain!
Every time you’re tempted to worry, tempted to get discouraged, tempted to complain, dig your heels in and say, “Father, thank You for the rain that’s coming. Thank You for the healing that’s coming. Thank You for the favor that’s coming. Thank You for the restoration that’s coming. Lord, I want to thank You not for just a little bit, not to barely get by, but like Elijah, I thank You for the abundance that You have in store for me!”
I felt that after God speaking to my heart to ‘don’t give up now’ he was also giving me instruction on what to do now. And believing that to be true I also felt compelled to share this with you. If you are one of those to whom yesterday spoke to, then perhaps this will speak to you as well.
There is so much power in a thankful heart. Psalm 95:2 tells us when we come into his presence, we should have a heart of thanks first. Psalm 107:22 tells us that we are to give offering with thanksgiving. Psalm 147:7 tells us that we are to sing and praise with thanksgiving.
Philippians 4:6 says; Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
Colossians 2:6-7 says; As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
Colossians 4:2 says; Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.
As we can see, thanksgiving is all through the Bible, I believe we should take this week and instead of praying about our promise, THANK GOD that it is here. Thank God. Have a heart of thanksgiving. What do you think? As for me, I am going to give thanks.
Father, today I THANK YOU. I thank you for every prayer you have answered. I thank you for every need you have met. I thank you for every season you have brought me through. I thank you for every day of peace I have experienced. I thank you for Jesus. I thank you for YOU and I thank you for the Holy Spirit. I thank you for the word of God. And…I thank you that the fulfillment of my promise is here, now, in Jesus name. Amen and So Be it.
