12 Disciplines of a Grateful Heart

Part 9

Thank God publicly and corporately

Psalm 35:18

 I will give thee thanks in the great congregation:

 I will praise thee among much people.

God never expected us or wanted us to become hermits once we became a Christian. His will is for us to have fellowship with other believers.

Hebrews 10:25

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

When we join with other believers, we are able to encourage each other as we share the blessings God has given us. We are able to tell of God’s goodness and faithfulness and be a blessing in someone else’s life.

In this passage in Psalms, David tells of his difficulties with his enemies and the struggles he’s facing, but then, when he comes to verse 18, he says “I will give thee thanks”, and not just in his prayer closet, alone, but “in the great congregation”.

David makes a point to tell us that he plans to share his God-given blessings with many people. The great congregation doesn’t mean the quality of the people, but the quantity of the people. In other words, many people. He is going to praise God in public among the people. He is going to let others know of God’s blessing upon his life. Publicly and corporately!

How often do we hide our blessings from others. We are abundantly blessed every day, and yet we choose to keep them to ourselves and not share what God has done for us with those around us.

Just recently, I heard testimony time referred to as “the Baptist moment of silence”. How true and yet, how sad. When we are called upon at church, to share something God has done in our lives, we become silent. We say nothing. We don’t share. Why is that? It can’t be that we haven’t been blessed and that God has done nothing for us. Why are we afraid to sing His praises in public?

We never know how sharing our blessing with others may touch someone’s life in a particular way and in turn bless them.

Praising and thanking the Lord publicly is seen many times in scripture. Even the Lord Jesus praised publicly. We read in John the account of Lazarus’ resurrection.

John 11:41-42

Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.

The Lord Jesus thanked the Father publicly, in front of others, so that His words would benefit others around Him. He made sure that He gave thanks vocally, and publicly so others would know God’s blessing.

Yes, there is a place for private worship and giving of thanks, but we should not neglect sharing God’s blessings and giving thanks publicly. We all have something to share, we all have much to thank God for and we all have a voice. A voice to use in praise. A voice to raise in thankfulness. A voice to lift in gratitude.

 God is so good to us and He wants us to let others know of His goodness. We can be a light to a dark world. We can sing His praises and let the world know that God answers prayer. That God is on our side.

And in a church setting, we can give praise to God so that others may be blessed and encouraged to keep fighting the good fight, to keep serving, to keep praying, to keep loving, to keep giving.

Psalm 22:22

 I will declare thy name unto my brethren:

 in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

Psalm 150:1-6

 Praise ye the LORD. 

Praise God in his sanctuary: 

praise him in the firmament of his power. 

Praise him for his mighty acts: 

praise him according to his excellent greatness. 

Praise him with the sound of the trumpet:

 praise him with the psaltery and harp.

 Praise him with the timbrel and dance:

 praise him with stringed instruments and organs. 

Praise him upon the loud cymbals:

 praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.

 Let every thing that hath breath

 praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.