In 1623 - William Bradford, the Governor of the Plymouth Colony - wrote this: “To All Ye Pilgrims: Inasmuch as the great Father has given us this year an abundant harvest of Indian corn, wheat, beans, squashes, and garden vegetables, and has made the forests to abound with game and the sea with fish and clams, and inasmuch as He has protected us from the ravages of the savages, has spared us from pestilence and disease, has granted us freedom to worship God according to the dictates of our own conscience; now, I, your magistrate, do proclaim that all ye Pilgrims, with your wives and little ones, do gather at ye meeting house, on ye hill, between the hours of 9 and 12 in the day time, on Thursday, November ye 29th of the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and twenty-three, and third year since ye Pilgrims landed on ye Pilgrim Rock, there to listen to ye pastor, and render thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all His blessings.”

This is our focus - to give thanks to God who has blessed us and is worthy of our giving thanks. I invite you to turn with me to Psalm 116 and we want to consider how we give thanks to God. Imagine that God has given us everything - even the means to give thanks. So how can we give thanks to God?

Psalm 116: I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my supplications, because He inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call on Him as long as I live. The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anquish. Then I called on the name of the Lord: “O Lord, I beseech Thee, save my life!” Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful. The Lord preserves the simple; when I was brought low, He saved me. Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. For Thou has delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling; I walk before the Lord in the land of the living. I kept my faith, even when I said, “I am greatly afflicted”; I said in my consternation, “Men are all a vain hope.” What shall I render to the Lord for all His bounty to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord, I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all His people, precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. O Lord, I am Thy servant; I am Thy servant, the son of Thy handmaid. Thou hast loosed my bonds. I will offer to Thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all His people, in the courts of the house of the Lord, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!

This Psalm is a description of where we live life - a man aware of his mortality - living in distress and anquish - in great need. His life is one of affliction and tears - hopeless. Each of us could put together a list of what we struggle with - the circumstances and concerns in our lives.

Life is not easy. Someone has said, “The problem with life is there’s no time to practice. It just sort of happens to you.”

Then, in Psalm 116 there’s a description of the deliverance of God. The Psalmist says, “Gracious is the Lord - our God is merciful - when I was in great need He saved me - I walk before the Lord in the land of the living” - I live because of God!

In all the places I’ve lived and all the experiences I have gone through - I have always had a roof over my head and I have not starved. And, even though I haven’t always followed God or lived in obedience to Him - When I’ve turned to Him - and even when I haven’t - He has always been there.

This is the testimony of those who have learned to trust God - God loves us - He hears our prayers. He’s working to deliver us. He’s compassionate towards us.

Psalm 116:12 says, “How can I repay the Lord for all His goodness to me?”

1. THANKSGIVING IS PERSONAL (v. 13)

Two men were walking through a field one day when they spotted an enraged bull. Instantly they started running toward the nearest fence. The storming bull followed in hot pursuit, and it was soon apparent they weren't going to make it. Terrified, the one shouted to the other, "Start praying, John. We're done for it!"

John answered, "I can't. I've never prayed publicly in my life."

"But you have to!" yelled his companion. "The bull is catching up to us."

"All right," panted John, "I'll say the only prayer I know, the one my father used to repeat at the table: 'O Lord, for what we are about to receive, make us truly thankful.'"

Personal thanks giving involves giving thanks for the circumstances of our lives.

Verse 13 is personal: “I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.” The cup is not just any cup. The Armenian translates this - "purgoutean pajaguh" - the cup of salvation - the cup is symbolic of our life and relationship with God - the blessings and experiences that are given to us by God.

Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane - in prayer before His arrest, trial, crucifixion and death - blood coming from Him like sweat - prays, “Father, if Thou art willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not my will but Thine be done.” (Luke 22:42-44)

Later that night - as Jesus was arrested - Peter takes out his sword and in this bold - heroic - foolish act of defending Jesus - cuts off the right ear of the High Priest’s slave Malchus.

And Jesus says to Peter - as He’s healing the ear of the slave - Jesus says, “Peter put your sword away. The cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?” (John 18:1-11)

At their private meals - the Jews had a cup of blessing - that the Head of the Household would drink from. In drinking from the cup - the head of the household gave thanks to God - first - acknowledging that his life and blessings were all from God and secondly he presented the cup back to God - symbolic of giving his life back to God.

To give thanks for the blessings of God is to accept the life - the cup - He offers. We respond to the blessings of God by saying, “Not my will. Not my life. But, the life you have given me is yours.”

2. THANKSGIVING IS PUBLIC (v. 14, 19)

In Luke 17 we read that Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem. On the way He enters a village on the border between Samaria and Galilee. Ten lepers, standing at a proper distance, call to Jesus. Their cry is for pity - mercy - something to help alleviate their misery. This was the standard way lepers had to get their needs met. They are simply conducting business - like a person living on the street who begs for a living.

Jesus meets the need of these social outcasts in a way that they really didn’t ask for or could have ever imagined. Jesus instructs the lepers to go to the priests for the legally required declaration of health - and as they go - they’re cleansed.

We know this story. Nine healed lepers continue on to Jerusalem. Maybe they didn’t think they had been that sick. Maybe they didn’t realize that Jesus had healed them. For whatever reason - they continued on to Jerusalem.

One leper, when he realized that he was healed, returns to Jesus - praising God at the top of his voice - in front of everyone who was there - he throws himself at Jesus’ feet and thanks Him.

Many people hear the Gospel and experience God’s love - they soak up the blessings of God - and then use them on themselves.

Thanksgiving means indebtedness. Responding in thanks giving to God means that we admit our inability - our inadequacy - our lack of self-sufficiency. Like lepers where only a miracle of God - only the gracious blessing of God - can heal us.

God doesn’t deliver us just so that we can feel all wonderful about our lives. God delivers us - and protects us - and provides for us - and has saved us - so that we can publicly testify of His graciousness and righteousness and compassion - of who He is and what He’s done.

This is what Psalm 116 says: (14) I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all His people, (19) in the courts of the house of the Lord - in front of all God’s people - in your midst, O Jerusalem - in front of the entire city. Praise the Lord!

As individuals - and as a church - we should be like the 10th leper. To return to Jesus - to fall on our knees - completely prostrate without pretense and pride - in humble thankfulness for what God has done.

By way of application - let me share 4 suggestions for personal and public thanksgiving - 4 practical things you can do this week.

1. Take time alone. Thursday morning - before the food and football - sit down alone with God and consider His blessings. Make a list of all His blessings in your life. And then thank Him for each one.

2. Give Him thanks by giving Him control of your life. Whatever the cup He has given you to drink from - wherever He is leading you - whatever the circumstances - thank Him - trust Him - give Him control. In some situations that may not be easy. You might want to read through Psalm 116 and think about how God has blessed you in the past - and the assurance that He is working in your life. Or you might think about what God told Jeremiah in Jeremiah 29:11: “I know the plans I have for you....plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

3. Come together as families and share His blessings - be public with your thanksgiving. Share the lists you made in the morning. Talk about how God has preserved and blessed your family. Our kids and grandkids - nieces and nephews need to know that God is working in your life - and they need to see the example of thanks giving in us.

4. As a church let’s give thanks to God - to praise Him publicly - together - for His blessings. What we come here for today is not to celebrate ourselves. Today - and every Sunday - we come to praise Him - to testify of His goodness. Our Service of Worship is a service for His benefit.