Thankfulness Has To Be Expressed Or Else…

Leviticus 7:11-12
“‘These are the regulations for the fellowship offering anyone may present to the LORD:
“‘If they offer it as an expression of thankfulness, then along with this thank offering they are to offer thick loaves made without yeast and with olive oil mixed in, thin loaves made without yeast and brushed with oil, and thick loaves of the finest flour well-kneaded and with oil mixed in.

Leviticus 7:13
Along with their fellowship offering of thanksgiving they are to present an offering with thick loaves of bread made with yeast.

Leviticus 7:15
The meat of their fellowship offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the day it is offered; they must leave none of it till morning.

This section of the Bible is listing the various offerings that one can and should bring during worship. Worship is not complete without offerings. The habit of attending worship with nothing to give is not biblical. These offertory prayers that seem to appreciate those who did not give need to be given a second thought. Giving is part and parcel of worship. In worship, we must pray. In worship, we must read the word of God. In worship we also give. The giving has to be thought about and planned properly. That is why God gave Moses elaborate instructions on how people should give. This section addresses thanksgiving offerings.

When we come to worship, we come sometimes feeling guilty for the sins we commit. Sometimes we come to worship feeling saddened by this or that. However, we should also come to worship with a sense of gratefulness. If you give your terrible life a second look, you discover it could have been worse, therefore, you need to thank God even if your life is not as good as you wished it to be. We must learn to be thankful. We must make thankfulness to God our habit and ultimately our character. Thankfulness has to be expressed or else it is not genuine!

If you are truly thankful, you can’t hide it. Whenever thankfulness is genuine, it is expressed. Thankfulness is expressed in singing praises. Thankfulness is expressed in testimonies. Thankfulness is expressed in optimism. Thankfulness is also expressed in giving thanksgiving offerings to God. Thankfulness has to be expressed or else we are not thankful!

If you are thankful, express it. If God has been good to you, express it. If God saved you from situations, express it. If God stooped a bad situation from getting worse, express it. Thankfulness has to be expressed or else we are ingrates!

Our text also tells us that thanksgiving offerings are to be exhausted by the priest the same day. God expected thanksgiving offerings daily or during every worship. You shouldn’t be satisfied that you expressed gratefulness last time, what about today? We should not cling to the thankfulness of last time as if God ceased to bless and help us. The command to exhaust the thanksgiving offerings daily is a command to daily express thankfulness. If you can’t express thankfulness daily, you have ceased to be thankful!

If you are thankful you will always perceive God as good even in the worst of circumstances. When you perceive God as good, your faith grows stronger under all circumstances. If you are thankful you stay positive under all circumstances. Positive people never give up. Positive people always try again after failure. Negativity lowers immunity, positivity keeps immunity high. Positive people are not sickly therefore much more productive. Positivity is better than negativity. You are better off positive than negative. Even if you are to die, you better die happy and positive. Die hopeful. Positivity is a result of a thankful spirit. A thankful spirit is made of daily thankfulness. Thankfulness has to be expressed daily and regularly or else optimism will forever elude us!

In our text today, offerings giving is an expression of thankfulness. Alongside your giving of other offerings, you add thanksgiving offering. Not all offerings are for thanksgiving. Other offerings are regular obligations that we must give under all circumstances. Therefore thanksgiving offering should be in addition to. The day you are expressing thankfulness, you give your regular offerings, and then, in addition, you give more, to express appreciation to God. You cannot and should not turn your regular offering and pretend that it is the thankfulness offerings. That is wrong. Thanksgiving offering is given alongside other offerings, it is given in addition to the regular offerings. That is how we express genuine appreciation to God. Thankfulness has to be expressed or else God will not accept it!

1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us to give thanks in everything. Find something to be thankful for. When thankful be thankful. When sad be thankful. When disappointed be thankful. When hurt be thankful. Find something to be thankful about. Express thankfulness through your giving, singing, testimonies, and positive living. Whenever you are thankful, your giving must be more than regular. That means you need to know your regular giving and then whenever you are thankful, you give in addition to the regular. Be thankful for everything. Even where there is nothing to be thankful for, you can find something to be thankful, if you give it a hard thought. Be thankful for your health. Be thankful for your studies. Be thankful for your finances. Be thankful for your relationships. Thankfulness has to be expressed in everything or else we are not thankful!

Thankfulness has to be deliberate. Thankfulness is never automatic. Thankfulness is the recommended way of worship and life. Worship devoid of thankfulness is incomplete. A life without thankfulness is not worth living. For quality worship and life, be thankful. Start being thankful and see your life change for the better. Thankfulness has to be expressed or else life and worship will never get better!

We treat toxic environments by expressing thankfulness. We repel toxic people by expressing thankfulness. We attract people when we are thankful and therefore positive. Marriages will be happy if thankfulness was regularly expressed than a record of wrong kept. You are likely to marry soon or get married if you regularly express thankfulness. You will learn the difficult things in school if you stay thankful and therefore positive. You will stay afloat in business if you are thankful for low or no profit. You won’t be hurt by people who seek to hurt you because you see their actions with thankfulness and therefore you rise above their intentions. Thankfulness is indeed the way to go. But unless you express it, you are not thankful!

God can read your heart, but He expects you to express thankfulness. God will not read your heart for thankfulness, he expects it to be expressed. Until you express it, you have not met God’s expectations. When you express it regularly you will cease faking it, it will be real. Thankfulness has to be expressed or else God will not accept it!

Teach me to be thankful dear God. May I be thankful under all circumstances. May my thankfulness be always expressed and not suppressed, in Jesus’ name, Amen!