Thanksgiving for His Gift of Salvation

There’s always much to give thanks for in Messiah. We have every blessing in the heavenly places in Yeshua (Eph. 1:3); so, praise flows freely for believers in Him. For those who pray for us, I’m thankful that the Lord blesses your prayers and provides the fruit in the lives of so many.

Thanksgiving Expresses our Reliance on God

The Scriptures mention three occasions where no leftovers were permitted:

Exodus 12:10 – The Passover lamb for salvation, “And you shall not leave any of it over until morning, but whatever is left of it until morning, you shall burn it with fire.”

Exodus 16:19 – The manna for their daily bread, “And Moses said to them, ‘Let no man leave any of it until morning.”

Leviticus 7:15 – The thanksgiving offering, “Now as for the flesh of the sacrifice of his thanksgiving peace offerings, it shall be eaten on the day of his offering; he shall not leave any of it over until morning.” There was a sense of urgency to be thankful as a testimony to God’s faithfulness. Our giving of thanks must not be left over until morning.

So often we want to wait to see how things are going to turn out before we give thanks to God, but this “wait and see” attitude reveals a lack of faith. During problems, faith testifies that “we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). This is why the New Covenant teaches, “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Messiah Yeshua” (1 Thes. 5:18). Do not wait to see how things turn out; instead, give thanks to God now! Thanksgiving is a sacrifice of faith that reflects trust in God’s sovereign will. In fact, those who had leftover todah (offering) for a later time committed a sin and were not accepted before God (see Lev. 2:18).

Thanksgiving Expresses our Faith in God

Thanksgiving is a result of faith that freely trusts in God. “And when you offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord, offer it of your own free will” (Lev. 22:29). God does not force us to believe; we believe Him because He is trustworthy. Personal faith in God means dependence on who He is. Sometimes our circumstances are so difficult that giving thanks to God is truly a choice – a free-will offering of faith. This is the same faith demonstrated by the prophets: “But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving…Salvation is from the LORD” (Jonah 2:9).

In Hebrews 13:15 we read “Through Him [Yeshua] then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is the fruit of lips that give thanks to His Name.” Likewise, we are exhorted to offer the fruit of our lips, the sacrifice of thanksgiving to our God today, this month, forever!

Thanksgiving Expresses Recognition of God’s Sacrifice for us

In light of the peace we have with God through the sacrificial gift of Messiah for our sins, how can we not give thanks to God? Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! (2 Cor. 9:15). One way we can give thanks to God is by sharing His love with people who do not have His peace. As we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and for peace in the Middle East, let’s remember that for peace between Israel and Palestinians there must first be peace with God through the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).

Therefore, let us give thanks to God for making us His children and one family in Messiah. “We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord…” (1 Thes. 1:2,3).

We are thankful to you and for you, as together we are reaching out to Jewish people around the world. There is no better time than this Thanksgiving season to express our deepest appreciation to you and say, Todah rabah! Thank you very much! And remember to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” and the rescue of the hostages that we all may be thankful for His continued faithfulness according to His promises. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!