MAGNIFY THE LORD WITH THANKSGIVING

November 4, 2024

I will praise God’s name in song and exalt Him with thanksgiving.

Psalm 69:30 (BSB)

I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.

Psalm 69:30 (KJV)

A magnifying glass makes things appear larger than they are. When Susan and I are working together, I temporarily magnify (enlarge) the text to make it easier for her to read on the TV screen. God is already bigger than anything or anyone else. Magnify in this verse means to extol, to exalt, to raise in estimation. In this case, we are magnifying the Lord, extoling His greatness to a world that is too myopic and self-focused to see Him clearly. Notice what magnifies Him: thanksgiving! When we are truly thankful for all God has done and is doing in our lives, and we express that outwardly, we magnify our Lord. Tell people not just that you are thankful, but to whom your thankfulness and praise are directed. Change the phrase “I am thankful” to the more accurate “I thank God.” Magnify the Lord God by having an “attitude of gratitude” every day. It will brighten your day and may just give you an opportunity to share the best news ever with someone who desperately needs to hear it! What are some things that can cause us to thank God and share our thankfulness with others?

  • I (Susan) thank God that I am breathing. After being placed on ventilator three times in my life, this is a constant praise.
  • We thank God for drawing us into relationship with Jesus, Susan at about four years old and Susie at the age of fifteen.
  • We thank God for bringing us together that we might each serve Him better.
  • We thank God for providing our daily bread (and in Susan’s case, the occasional chicken fried steak!)
  • We thank God for our church family who have been there for us in so many ways.
  • We thank God for the internet which enables us to encourage others even when we are “home-found” most of the time.
  • We thank God for our “lifters” who enable Susan to leave the four walls of our room.

We challenge you to make your own list. Thank Him in your private prayers but remember to tell others that you thank God for so much! Be His witness to others by expressing your thankfulness out loud.

Father, as the chorus says, “We’ve got so much, so much, so much, to be thankful for!”