A. The Lord wants and expects us to be thankful:
Psa.50:14a - Offer unto God thanksgiving
Psa.95:2 - Come before His presence with thanksgiving
Psa.100:4b - Be thankful unto Him
Psa.140:13 - Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto Thy name
Eph.5:20 - Giving thanks always for all things unto God
Col.3:15b - Be ye thankful
1Thes.5:18 - In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God
(See also Psa.92:1)
B. We should be content:
Phi.4:11 - In whatsoever state I am, therewith...be content
1Tim.6:8 - Having food and raiment let us be therewith content
1Tim.6:6 - Godliness with contentment is great gain
Heb.13:5 - Be content with such things as ye have
(See also Pro.15:16,17)
C. Don't take God's blessings for granted:
Psa.68:19 - Blessed be Lord...Who daily loadeth us with benefits
Psa.103:2 - Bless the Lord...and forget not all His benefits
Lk.17:12-18 - Were not ten (lepers) cleansed? where are the nine? (None) returned to give glory to God, save (one)
D. Remember to always thank Him for your blessings:
2Sam.22:49,50 - Thou hast delivered me...therefore I will give thanks
1Chr.16:8 - Give thanks...make known His deeds among the people
Psa.136:1-3 - Give thanks unto God...for His mercy endureth forever
1Cor.15:57 - Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory
2Cor.2:14 - Thanks be unto God, which...causeth us to triumph
(See also Psa.26:7; 107:22.)
A. We are admonished to praise the Lord:
Psa.107:8 - Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works
Psa.18:3 - The Lord...is worthy to be praised
Psa.22:3 - (God) inhabitest the praises of Israel
Psa.66:8 - O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of His praise to be heard
Psa.67:3 - O God, let all the people praise Thee
Psa.100:4 - Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise
Psa.103:1 - Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name
Psa.113:1 - Praise ye the Lord, O ye servants of the Lord
Psa.117:1 - Praise the Lord, all ye nations...all ye people
Psa.147:1 - Praise ye the Lord: for...praise is comely
Psa.150:6 - Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord
Heb.13:15 - Offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually...the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name
1Pet.2:9 - Ye should show forth praises of Him Who called you
(See also Psa.50:23; 148:all; 150:all.)
B. Praise the Lord in song:
Psa.30:4 - Sing unto the Lord...and give thanks
Psa.69:30 - Praise the name of God with a song...and thanksgiving
Psa.92:1 - It is a good thing to...sing praises unto Thy name
Psa.98:1 - Sing unto the Lord a new song
Psa.147:1,7 - Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise
Eph.5:19 - Making melody in your heart to the Lord
Col.3:16 - Singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord
C. Praise the Lord happily:
Psa.5:11 - Let them that love Thy name be joyful in Thee
Psa.95:2b - Make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms
Isa.51:3b - Joy and gladness...thanksgiving, and the voice of melody
Jer.30:19 - Out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry
(See also Psa.100:1; Jer.33:11.)
Heb.13:15 - Let us offer...praise to God continually...our lips giving thanks to His name
Psa.34:1 - I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth
Psa.35:28 - My tongue shall speak of Thy...praise all day long
Psa.71:8 - Let my mouth be filled with Thy praise...all the day
(See also Psa.30:12b; 72:15b; 79:13; 104:33; 113:3.)
Jn.6:43 - Jesus said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves
1Cor.10:10 - Neither murmur ye, as some of them murmured
Phi.2:14 - Do all things without murmurings and disputings
(See also Psa.144:14)
A. Lack of gratitude for what God has given us:
Num.11:4-6,18 - We remember the fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks...now there is nothing at all, beside this manna
Num.21:4,5 - There is no bread...and our soul loatheth this (manna)
B. Lack of faith for God to supply our needs:
Exo.16:2,3 - The whole congregation...murmured against Moses...in the wilderness [when they ran out of food]
Exo.17:1-4 - People thirsted...and murmured...thou brought us out of Egypt, to kill us with thirst
(See also Exo.15:23,24)
C. Loss of faith in God's Word and His power:
Psa.106:24,25 - They believed not His Word...but murmured
Jn.6:60-66 - Many disciples said, This is an hard saying...His disciples murmured...many went back
(Compare Exo.3:4-8; 4:30,31; 14:9-12.)
(Compare Deut.1:19-27; Num.14:1-11.)
D. Giving up and losing hope:
1Sam.27:1 - David said, "I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul"
1Ki.19:1-4,10 - Elijah...requested that he might die
Jer.20:14-18 - Cursed be the day I was born...wherefore came I...out of the womb to see labour and sorrow?
Jon.4:1-9 - Jonah prayed, Take my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live
(See also Job 7:6,11; 10:1.)
E. Lack of faith that God loves us:
Deut.1:27 - Ye murmured, and said, Because the Lord hated us, He brought us [to Canaan] to destroy us
(See also Psa.73:13,14; 77:1-9.)
F. Thinking that God is far away and doesn't hear:
Job 23:2-9 - Today is my complaint bitter: Oh that I knew where I might find Him. I cannot perceive Him
Psa.10:1 - Why standest Thou afar off, O Lord? Why hidest Thou?
(See also Psa.13:1; 22:1,2.)
G. Self-righteously judging others:
Mk.14:4-10 - Why was this waste...made? For it might have been sold...they murmured. Judas...went to betray Him
Lk.15:2 - The Pharisees murmured, This man receiveth sinners
Lk.19:7 - When [Pharisees] saw it, they all murmured, He [has] gone to be a guest with a sinner
A. Murmuring angers God:
Num.11:1 - When the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and His anger was kindled; and fire...consumed them
Num.11:10,33 - [Israelites wailed for meat] and the anger of the Lord kindled greatly...and the Lord smote the people
Num.21:4-6 - The people spake against God...and the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people...and much people died
1Cor.10:10 - Neither murmur ye, as some of them [Israelites] also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer
(See also Num.17:10)
B. God may take us at our word:
Num.14:1,2 - All the children of Israel murmured... Would God that we had died in this wilderness
Num.14:26-35 - As ye have spoken, so will I do to you: Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness...even forty years
C. Any murmur is ultimately a murmur against God:
Exo.16:7 - Your murmurings (are) against the Lord: (for) what are we (Moses and Aaron), that ye murmur against us?
Exo.16:8 - Your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord (See also vs. 9-13)
Num.16:11 - (You) are gathered together against the Lord: (for) what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him?
D. It causes others to murmur too:
Num.11:4,5 - [Mixed multitude lusted after meat, and soon the entire camp started murmuring]
Num.13:30-32; 14:36,37 - The (spies) made all the congregation to murmur...by bringing...an evil report (See also Deut.1:27,28)
A. Praise and rejoice even when things go wrong:
Hab.3:17,18 - Although the...fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off... yet will I rejoice in the Lord
Mat.5:11,12 - When men revile you, and persecute you, and say...evil against you falsely...rejoice, and be exceeding glad
Lk.6:22,23 - When men shall hate you...separate you...reproach you...rejoice ye...and leap for joy
Acts 5:40,41 - They called the apostles, and beat them...they departed rejoicing that they were worthy to suffer shame
Acts 16:22-25 - Beat them...cast them into prison...Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God
1Thes.5:18 - In everything give thanks: this is the will of God
1Pet.4:12,13 - Think it not strange...the fiery trial...but rejoice
(See also Jer.15:10,11,16; Jon.2:all; Phi.4:4.)
B. If you have a genuine deep grievance, tell the Lord:
Psa 55:2,3 - Hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise... because of the enemy...my heart is sore pained
Psa.55:22 - Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee
Psa.77:1-4 - I was troubled: I complained, my spirit...over whelmed
Psa.142:all - I poured out my complaint before Him; I showed Him my trouble....my spirit was overwhelmed
1Pet.5:7 - Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you
(See also Heb.4:14-16)
C. Keep on praising and victory is sure to come:
2Chr.20:22 - When they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the (enemy)
D. Keep a thankful attitude in prayer:
Phi.4:6 - By prayer...with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God
Col.4:2 - Continue in prayer...with thanksgiving
E. Have a thankful instead of foolish or vain attitude:
Eph.5:4 - Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting...but rather giving of thanks