To count our blessings is to name them and acknowledge our gratitude for the good things God has blessed us with. Seph Schlueter sings of this in his song “Counting My Blessings,” and I use it to catapult us into the world of Jesus to see how He gave thanks in all circumstances.
Let’s explore Scripture together to deepen our knowledge as we practice giving thanks in our lives.
In this episode, I discuss the following:
- Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture – this week’s Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include:
- Reading in context
- Listen to an audio version of the text
- Repetition
- Make a list
- Complete a word study
- Meditate on Scripture
- Consider the opposite
- Episode Guide
- Reading all of 1 Thessalonians as inspired by 1 Thessalonians 5:18
- Making a list of what Paul is thankful for as an example of how to make a list of our own
- Asking the question, “What does giving thanks look like in Scripture?”
- “One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are” by Ann Voskamp – Amazon Paid Link
- An interview by Kirk Cameron with Ann Voskamp – YouTube Video
- Learning to be on the hunt for things to be thankful for
- Actually taking action — to give thanks is a verb
- Greek word for “to give thanks” – eucharisteo – BibleHub Word Study
- The times Jesus eucharisteo
- at the Last Supper – Luke 22:17-19, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, Hebrews 12:2
- at the Feeding of the 5000 – John 6:11-13, 23
- at the resurrection of Lazarus – John 11:38-44
- How miracles, provision, fullness, resurrection, and life are on the other side of giving thanks
- Considering the opposite of how Jesus gave thanks
- sinful people described as NOT giving thanks – Romans 1:21
- hypocritical religious man giving thanks in a presumptuous and arrogant fashion – Luke 18:11
- using our words to give thanks rather than foolish talk – Ephesians 5:4
Reading Scriptures about giving thanks won’t transform you unless you allow them to inform what you think about giving thanks, and then actually PRACTICE giving thanks.
Enjoy the official lyric video below.
More Than a Song Playlist
Additional Resources
- Lyrics – NewReleaseToday.com
- The story behind the song “Counting My Blessings” by Seph Schlueter – YouTube Short
- “One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are” by Ann Voskamp – Amazon Paid Link
- An interview by Kirk Cameron with Ann Voskamp – YouTube Video
- My favorite Bible Study Software – Logos Bible Software Affiliate Link
This Week’s Challenge
Spend some time in 1 Thessalonians. Make a list of what Paul is thankful for. Then, make your own list of things you are thankful for. Be imitators of Christ in your eucharisteo. Read about Christ giving thanks in Scripture by following the episode guide. Then, take action. Don’t just read about giving thanks — actually give thanks.
