2026: My Year of Divine Glorification. John 17 vs 5

Thanksgiving: A Believer’s Response to God’s Faithfulness!

Listen to Audio Version:

“When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings, name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.”

Did you sing along, because it’s a familiar song, or you actually meant the very words inked on this page? 

We’re seldom so encumbered by the daily throes of life that we forget to live in reflection like the man after God’s heart did in Psalm 103. 

We have sat too long in what seems to be dormant, dysfunctional, or slow around us, and this has laced our prayers of gratitude with uncertainty and routine chants. 

Pastor Ayo Adebisi called us to the recognition of this on Sunday. In his brief charge, he steered us to observe and assess our prayers. He asked: 

“What’s your response to God’s faithfulness as a believer? How do you respond to God’s faithfulness? How do you acknowledge God’s mercy towards you? And why should we give thanks?”

In answering these, he led us to see a man worthy of emulation in Lamentations 3:1-23. Despite what Jeremiah went through, he found God worthy of thanks and praise. A believer’s response to God’s faithfulness is gratitude; consistent, continuous gratitude. 

Thanksgiving is recognizing God’s mercy, and thanking Him in response to such recognition. God’s faithfulness is seen in the forgiveness of sins (Ps. 103.3), the keeping of His promises, answering our prayers, strengthening us through trials among other things. He never leaves us. He’s a great father.

God is not man. Man stands in a position of revenge when someone offends them. God isn’t like this. In our shortcomings, He still cares for us in love. It’s of His mercy that we’re not consumed (Lam. 3:22-23). He is good and His mercy endures forever. He’s saved us, and gives us victory in every sphere of our lives. His faithfulness is constant. 

So, in the overwhelm of life, in the stress of it, don’t neglect the place of reflection and gratitude for all He’s done when things seemed good, and even now when it seems otherwise. Think upon His goodness, and ask yourself: Is my gratitude genuine? or is it a templated script that leaves me in routine and not in the truth of my heart? 

Thanksgiving should be the daily response of every believer who recognizes God’s grace. This means, in spite of your weighty feelings, you can still find reason to thank God. Giving thanks should be a lifestyle, not a one time thing. 

The exhortation will bless you. Listen here.

Written by Kelani Omótóyòsí

“Nigbati ’gbi aye yi ba nyi lu o,

to si dabi enipe gbogbo re pin,

ka ibukun re, siro won l’okokan,

iṣẹ Oluwa yo jẹ ’yanu fun o.”

Nje o ba won lo bi won se kọ orin náà, nítorí pé o ti mọ̀ ọ́ tẹ́lẹ̀, tàbí o túmọ̀ sí gbogbo ọ̀rọ̀ tí a kọ sí ojú ìwé yìí gan-an?

Ó sábà máa ń ṣẹlẹ̀ pé àwọn ìjàkadì àti ìnira ojoojúmọ́ máa ń gbà wá lọ́kàn débi pé a máa gbàgbé láti dúró kí a sì ronú jinlẹ̀, gẹ́gẹ́ bí eniyan tí ó wà lẹ́yìn ọkàn Ọlọ́run ṣe ṣe nínú Iwe Sáàmù Ori ketalelogorun.

A ti jókòó pẹ́ gan-an nínú ohun tí ó dàbí ẹni pé ó ti dákẹ́, ohun to ti denukole, tàbí ń lọ lọ́ra ní ayíká wa. Èyí sì ti mú kí àdúrà ìdúpẹ́ wa dà pọ̀ mọ́ àìdánilójú àti àṣà àtẹnudẹ́nu.

Lọ́jọ́ Àìkú, Alufa Ayo Adebisi pe wa sí ìmúrasílẹ̀ láti mọ̀ èyí. Nínú iwasu kekere rẹ̀ tó kúrú, ó tọ́ wa sọ́nà láti wo dáadáa kí a sì ṣe àyẹ̀wò àwọn àdúrà wa. Ó bi wa pé:

Kí ni ìdáhùn rẹ sí ìṣòtítọ́ Ọlọ́run gẹ́gẹ́ bí onígbàgbọ́? Báwo ni o ṣe ń dáhùn sí ìṣòtítọ́ Ọlọ́run? Báwo ni o ṣe ń fi ìdúpẹ́ hàn fún àánú Ọlọ́run lórí ìgbésí ayé rẹ? Kí ló dé tí ó fi yẹ kí a máa dúpẹ́ lọwọ Ọlọ́run? 

Ní fífún wa ní ìdáhùn sí àwọn ìbéèrè wọ̀nyí, ó mú wa rí ẹni tí ó yẹ ká fara wé nínú Ìwé Ẹkún Jeremáyà ori keta ese kini si ori ketalelogun. Láìka gbogbo ohun tí Jeremáyà la kọjá, ó ṣì rí Ọlọ́run gẹ́gẹ́ bí Ẹni tí ó yẹ fún ọpẹ́ àti ìyìn.

Ìdáhùn olùgbàgbọ́ sí ìṣòtítọ́ Ọlọ́run ni ìdúpẹ́ tí ó máa ń bá a lọ láìdákẹ́, tí kò sì ní ìparí.

Ìdúpẹ́ ni idanimo àánú Ọlọ́run, pẹ̀lú fífi ọpẹ́ hàn sí i gẹ́gẹ́ bí ìdáhùn sí. A rí ìṣòtítọ́ Ọlọ́run nínú ìdáríjì ẹ̀ṣẹ̀ wa (Orin Dafidi ori ketalelogorun, ese keta), nínú bí Ó ṣe ń mú àwọn ìlérí Rẹ̀ ṣẹ, nínú bí Ó ṣe ń dá àdúrà wa lóhùn, àti nínú bí Ó ṣe ń fún wa ní agbára láti la àwọn ìdánwò kọjá, pẹ̀lú ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ ohun mìíràn. Kò fi wa sílẹ̀ rárá, kò sì kọ̀ wa sílẹ̀. Baba rere ni, Baba ńlá sì ni.

Ọlọ́run kì í ṣe ènìyàn. Nígbà tí ẹnìkan bá ṣẹ ènìyàn, ènìyàn sábà máa ń dúró sí ipò ẹ̀san. Ṣùgbọ́n Ọlọ́run kò rí bẹ́ẹ̀. Bí a tilẹ̀ jẹ́ aláìpé, tí a sì ń ṣe àṣìṣe, ó ṣì ń tọ́jú wa nínú ìfẹ́ Rẹ̀. Ìdí tí a kò fi parun ni àánú Rẹ̀ (Ẹkún Jeremáyà ori keta  ese keji lelogun si ketalelogun). Ó dára, àánú Rẹ̀ sì wà títí láí. Ó ti gba wa là, ó sì ń fún wa ní ìṣẹ́gun ní gbogbo apá ìgbésí ayé wa. Otito Rẹ̀ kò yí padà láíláí, o duro sinsin. 

Nítorí náà, nínú ìdààmú àti wahalà rẹ̀, má ṣe gbàgbé ipò ìrònú jinlẹ̀ àti ìdúpẹ́ fún gbogbo ohun tí Ó ti ṣe fún wa nígbà tí ohun gbogbo dára, àti pàápàá nísinsìnyí tí ó dà bí ẹni pé àwọn nǹkan ò lọ bákan náà. Ronú jinlẹ̀ lórí oore Rẹ̀, kí o sì béèrè lọ́wọ́ ara rẹ pé: Ṣé ìdúpẹ́ mi jẹ́ tòótọ́ láti inú ọkàn mi? Tàbí ó jẹ́ ọ̀rọ̀ tí mo ti kọ́ láti máa sọ láì ronú, tí ó ti sọ mi di ẹni tí ń ṣe ohun kan lásán nítorí àṣà, kì í ṣe nítorí òtítọ́ inú ọkàn mi?

Ìfẹ́ Ọlọ́run yẹ kí ìdáhùn ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ ọjọ́ gbogbo ọmọ ìgbàgbọ́ tí ó mọ ìrẹ̀lẹ̀ àti oore-ọ̀fẹ́ Ọlọ́run jẹ́. Èyí túmọ̀ sí pé, bí ó tilẹ̀ jẹ́ pé àwọn ìmọ̀lára tó wuwo wà lọ́kàn rẹ, o tún lè rí ìdí láti dúpẹ́ lọ́wọ́ Ọlọ́run.

Ìdúpẹ́ yẹ kí ó jẹ́ ìhùwàsí ojoojúmọ́ ti gbogbo onígbàgbọ́ tí ó mọ̀ pé oore-ọ̀fẹ́ Ọlọ́run wà lórí ayé rẹ̀. Èyí túmọ̀ sí pé, láìka bí ìmọ̀lára rẹ ṣe le tó tàbí àwọn ìpèníjà tí o ń dojú kọ, o tún lè rí ìdí láti dúpẹ́ lọ́wọ́ Ọlọ́run. Fífún Ọlọ́run ní ọpẹ́ kò yẹ kí ó jẹ́ ohun tí a ń ṣe lẹ́ẹ̀kan ṣoṣo, ṣùgbọ́n ó yẹ kí ó jẹ́ ìgbésí ayé wa. 

Ìyànjú yìí yóò bùkún ọ. Gbọ́ ọ níbí.

Written by Kelani Omótóyòsí 

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