Psalm 136

Giving thanks

Giving is an attitude,

Zarapeth woman - gave
the woman at zarepath has only the flour to make the last bread for her and her son and then she was expecting to die.
when Elijah went and asked the woman , she said she had only the last meal to eat, but he said give it.
the moment she gave, the oil did not stop,

Giving thanks

20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 2


Where there is absence of Giving thanks there arises a heart of bitterness, complaint, murmur

When the ten lepers approached Jesus and when Jesus healed them, only one came back and gave thanks.

The key here is that remaining 9 were preoccupied with themselves that they count not give thanks.
when our minds are preoccupied with ourselves - result is a heart of ingratitude.

How many kids or youngsters thank their parents for all that they do? how may of the kids when they eat food , give thanks to God and say Lord thank you for my mom and dad who work so hard that i eat this food.

we are living in a generation where everything is provided and thankfulness miss out.

If we can check the root of every sin, it is because there is no thankfulness.
Adam and Eve , there are many trees and fruits, they should be eating that and thanking God.

if you are really thankful for God , you don't complain about food.


Do you want to cultivate this attitude of gratitude, the one place to start is in the presence of the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord.

Search out every reason to give thanks. Search out every situation to give thanks.
take all that happened in your life to give thanks.

Psalmist here has taken out all the history to give thanks to the Lord.
Psalmist started out from creation of heavens and earth till the salvation part and started giving thanks for each and every thing that happened.

V4-V9 - CREATION
In our cell groups, we studied about Creation.

3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

The first thing in giving thanks is Faith.
Your giving thanks should not depend on the logical reasoning, but your giving thanks is always based on faith.


V10-V22- NATION
What God has to our nation, give thanks for that.
take time out , how God remembered this nation when there was nothing, how God prospered this nation.
that gives you motivation for praying for this nation.

V23-V25  GODS REMEMBERANCE
Give thanks to God - for some time back you might be nobody , but God has brought you into a family to belong.

GIVE THANKS

Psalm 134

Psalm 134

By night , stand in the house of the Lord.

night represents a time where people take rest.
night is a relaxation time.

Have you ever felt a leading to pray in the night time, but you said to yourself that i had a hard working day, let me take sleep.

night also represents secret time. my english teacher once said this in a class.
a mans character is what he is in his secret time.
in secret, when nobody , how you behave is your real character.
when you come to church you may say praise the Lord to all but when you go home you start speaking she is like this he is like that.
in public you might look godly, but in secret you know what you watch on your gadgets.

this verse says By night stand in the house of the Lord.

how many of us use our time wisely to worship God.
Luke 2:36 - 38
Anna lived with a husband seven years from her virginity. That means in those days , a girl would get married by age of 16 or 17 and say from that time another 7 years is about 25 and then she became a widow.

most of the people when they are in lack, they make it as a excuse not to worship God, make an excuse to skip worship service.

if you don't have a car, lets skip it, have a little cough and cold, lets skip Church,
we use many excuses to not worship.
but look at this woman, she became a widow at about age of 25 and now she is 84. if it is somebody else, they would have spent years in mourning, and get married to somebody else.
but this woman, used her most disadvantegous situation to worship God.

She did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
This woman is great woman, she did not depart from the temple, fasting prayer day and night.

you know what happens to such people. The Lord appears to them.
when Mary and Joseph brought baby Jesus to temple,  all the people in the temple might have seen a little baby,  but Simeon and this lady Anna they say the Redeemer.

if you are a sincere seeker of God, you dont see what other people see. but you see God
Moses was different because all people have seen smoke , but Moses was speaking to God in that smoke.


36 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; 37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years,[i] who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord,[j] and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.


You lift your hands and sing in Church and how may of you honestly lift your hands in the night time and pray.

V2 - LIFT UP YOUR HANDS

Many people lift their hands up and it convey different meaning s.


“Arise, cry out in the night,
At the beginning of the watches;
Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord.
Lift your hands toward Him
For the life of your young children,
Who faint from hunger at the head of every street.”

Politicians lift their hands to show their leadership.

A person who bless others lift his hands up .

But here the Word says lift your hands in the sanctuary.

Some people feel shy
If you are shy, you are thinking about others.

1 Timothy 2:8

Lift up your hands.

Means your cry to God,your prayer ,
shows Your dependence
Your declaration that he is your only source
I am yours.

Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed,

And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, Which I love; And I will meditate on Your statutes.

David says May my prayer be counted as incense before You; The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering

Give Him no rest.

Isaiah 62: 6,7
6 I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;
They shall never hold their peace day or night.
You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent,
7 And give Him no rest till He establishes
And till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.


V3

The Lord who made heaven and earth
Bless you from Zion!


The blessing of God is from Zion that is Church.
Example of corporate bonus.