Joyfully Giving Thanks to the Father

Hey everyone.

This post will conclude my examination of Col. 1:1-13.  We have looked at three things that please God in every way: Bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God and being strengthened according to his glorious might.  Finally we come to the last one, Joyfully giving thanks to the Father.

Paul gives us a lot to be thankful for right here in this passage.  Let's look at a few of them:

• He has qualified us to share in the inheritance.  (Awesome)
• He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness.  (Also Awesome)
• He has brought into the kingdom of the Son he loves.  (Even more Awesome)
• Jesus has provided us with redemption and forgiveness of sins.  (It is like a Grand Slam of Awesomeness)

Right here we can see that God has rescued us from something really bad (the world and our sin) and in exchange has given us something really good (the kingdom, forgiveness and an inheritance among the saints.)  We have a lot to thankful for, and not just thankful, joyfully thankful.

Some other thoughts on this:
II Cor. 2:14 "Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ."  It's like Jesus is leading a victory parade that we are a part of.  Life as a disciple is good, it's victorious and we should be joyfully thankful.

I Thes. 5:18 "Give thanks in all circumstances."  It is easy to be thankful when everything is going well.  Not as easy to be thankful when things are difficult.  However, if we are to obey this command, there will be times when he have difficulties (perhaps the Lord's discipline) to be thankful for.  Time for a quiz:  Who says this, "But I with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you."  Don't know?  Jonah says it while in the belly of the big fish. (Jonah 2:9)  Jonah had his issues, but he understood here to be grateful for the Lord's discipline.

Ps 107:8, 15, 21, and 31 all say the same thing.  "Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind."  We have a lot to be thankful for.  God has done wonderful deeds for us, and has given us big things (salvation, the church, marriage, families) and small things (coffee, chocolate and french fries are ultimately his inventions) that we should be grateful for.  Our gratitude pleases him.

Tom