CI 2023 Pasasalamat: Pagtanaw at Pagbabahagi

Christmas Institute 2023 

Pasasalamat: Pagtanaw at Pagbabahagi 

December 27-29, 2023

One of the good things that we can offer to God is to give thanks. Why is it right to give thanks and praise to God? I believe that the answer was already written in the scripture and our experiences.

It is good to give thanks to God because of his steadfast love for all of us at all times. The youngest participants here are maybe 12 years old and the eldest is around 22 or 23 years old. Looking back for all these years 12 years to 23 years living on earth. We have experienced hardships in our families, studies, church, or ministry, in our health, social life, finances, or even our spirituality. Despite these trials, we can still say thanks to God because we are here together, called in his name, to give thanks and praise.

Upon reading Psalm 92, I learned significant things about thanksgiving.

1. Thanksgiving needs no hiding. (Ang pasasalamat hindi itinatago).

    We declare, we say it, and we do something. When we give thanks to God and other people by words or actions, we are being true to ourselves and the people around us. Giving thanks is not a shame so don’t be shy to show it.

2. Thanksgiving invites each one of us to worship. (Ang pasasalamat ay paanyaya para magpuri)

    When we sing praises, dance, or listen to great melodies or music, from the instruments that we can play or cannot but love listening to them. Even though we cannot sing and dance, thanksgiving can make us do it because we are focusing on God’s faithfulness. We are ready to offer our lives as an act of worship to our LORD.

3. Thanksgiving brings joy. (Ang pasasalamat ay nagbibigay ng kagalakan). 

    God and us are both experiencing gladness or joy when we give thanks.

God made us glad because of his love for us and we made him glad by being grateful not only for what he has done for all of us but we are grateful for God being himself (ever faithful, gracious, and loving God.

 

Is it good to give thanks to the Lord? And we can all answer, “It is good to give thanks to the Lord.”