
DAILY HOPE DEVOTIONALS: DECEMBER 19 ACCEPTABLE THANKSGIVING (2) SCRIPTURE: GENESIS 4: 3 – 5; NUMBERS 22: 29; PROVERBS 15: 8a
We could remember that our study in yesterday devotional said that though God wants human beings to give Him thanksgiving offerings, but is not every offering that He accepts. Yesterday’s devotional referred to Cain and Abel kinds of thanksgiving and concluded that God rejected Cain’s offering because he probably neglected God’s prescribed procedures for giving offering of thanksgiving to Him. Today’s devotional still builds on what to do to make our thanksgivings acceptable to God. We know that our works cannot make God approves us, however, few of what could make God accepting our thanksgivings is considered appropriate for mentioning here. There could be many ways Christians can make their thanksgivings acceptable to God. All of these cannot be accessed and assembled in a space like this.
Many Christians ascribed repentant activities to be carried out for cleansing before going before God when giving Him thanksgiving. These people rely on Proverbs 15: 8a that says: “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD…” (NKJV). Others referred to the Old Testament procedure of washing one’s hands clean in the outer court of the Tabernacle to become clean before embarking of sin offerings and thanksgiving offerings. This devotional believes in this but views faithful confession of one’s sins to Jesus as enough exercise in the present dispensation. Adding more to what makes one’s thanksgiving acceptable to God should reflect freewill offerings. God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9: 7). We are to give thanksgiving in cheerful spirit willingly and not with grudges.
Followed by giving God offering of thanksgiving in freewill and cheerful heart is “giving thanksgiving to God voluntarily.” Christians are not to give thanksgiving offering under duress of any sort. This takes us to Leviticus 22: 29 that says: – “And when you offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the LORD, offer it of your own free will” (NKJV). This, points at giving offering to God voluntarily. It is important to mention here that we Christians should not give God thanksgiving offerings under duress and should not allow anyone makes us giving thanksgivings by cohesion. In conclusion, our singing, praising and dancing during thanksgiving should be done in a way that is acceptable to God too. Acceptable songs, praising and dancing is that which are done from grateful hearts. Singing, praising God in melodious voice void of grateful heart cannot please God so it is with graceful dance outside of grateful heart.
PRAYER:
Holy Spirit, the Bible says we are do everything in ways that will be worthy of praise. Direct my heart to the best ways of thanking God for Him to accept my thanksgivings in the name of Jesus.
bishopubaudenyi@hopealivechurch