Giving Thanks to God for Being God

In Exodus 34:6-7, God lays out for Moses and us who He is. Moses had asked God in the last chapter to show him His glory. And God promised to make all His goodness pass before Moses and to proclaim His name to him. All these characteristics listed here comprise God’s goodness. And what makes this passage so powerful is that it is God defining God. C. S. Lewis has said that the best one to tell us about God would be God Himself. And that’s exactly what He does here in the most comprehensive way.

Now, it is typical for us at Thanksgiving to focus on what God has given us. All of the many blessings we can stop and take the time to count. To express our thanks and gratefulness to God for those blessings. And it is good and right for us to do so. But what about giving thanks to God for being Who He is? For these characteristics which are displayed in His actions? I am struck by the fact that Psalm 100, which is referred to as being “A Psalm of Thanksgiving,” calls us to “Enter [God’s] gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness endures forever and His faithfulness, generation to generation.” We are encouraged to give thanks and bless God’s name for His goodness, lovingkindness, and faithfulness. All characteristics of His which define His very nature.

So, what I encourage you to do today, which may be a little different than what you typically do each year, is to specifically reflect on these characteristics of God He proclaimed before Moses and why we should be thankful for such. In hopes that this will further move us to give thanks to God for being the great God He is.

Giving Thanks for God's Mercy

The first thing God says about Himself to Moses in His gracious declaration to him is that He is COMPASSIONATE. The word is similar to that which is used of a mother's tender concern and care for her child. It is showing pity to someone in a miserable and weak condition, even though he or she doesn't deserve it. Exactly what God does in choosing to save those who recognize themselves to be in a miserable state of sin and cry out to Him to save them through the perfect sinless life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection of His Son. He shows such pity and compassion in not giving believers the punishment and wrath they deserve but having that fall on His Son instead in their place. Basically, anything we receive from God other than His judgment and wrath is His mercy towards us. Let's give thanks for God's mercy!

Giving Thanks for God's Grace

The second thing God says about Himself to Moses is that He is GRACIOUS. Grace is unmerited favor. It is being given something one does not deserve. Of course, the greatest gift of all God has given believers is their salvation. Something which is impossible for us to earn, no matter how hard we may try. In fact, we give God every reason not to save us by our sinful thoughts, desires, and actions. What great grace God has shown us in sending His Son to experience the punishment which we deserve for our sins but He did not. And to credit His very righteousness to our account though we contributed absolutely nothing to it. All so that we could become His adopted children and live with Him for all eternity. None of which we deserve on account of our sinfulness and rebellion. Let's give thanks for God's grace!

Giving Thanks for God’s Patience

The third thing God says about Himself to Moses is that He is PATIENT, longsuffering, or slow to anger. In Hebrew, this is literally, “long of nose.” The picture is of an animal like a bull whose nostrils flare whenever it gets angry. It takes a while for God to demonstrate His anger. For His nostrils to flare up so to speak.

One of the most amazing things in the Old Testament is how patient God continues to be towards His people. How long He delays His wrath when they deserve it on the spot. Even today, He continues to show such patience in waiting to bring about the full weight of His wrath until the return of His Son. This gives more opportunity for people to repent to avoid His wrath. Let’s give thanks to God for His patience!

Giving Thanks for God’s Love

The fourth word God uses to describe Himself to Moses is LOVINGKINDNESS. This refers to His loyal love and commitment to His people. How He has devoted Himself to the good of those who belong to Him. And that good is not physical health, wealth, and prosperity but coming to know Him and being made more like His Son. We see the greatest display of God’s love with the sending and sacrifice of His Son. The giving of the One of highest and infinite value and worth to Him for our salvation. Choosing to show such love to us before we ever loved Him. There is no greater love we have experienced than this. Let’s give thanks for God’s lovingkindness which “endures forever”!

Giving Thanks for God’s Truth

Not only does God say He is abounding in lovingkindness but also in truth. He can be trusted. He won’t say one thing and mean the opposite. We don’t have to worry about any “fake news” coming from Him. He is not a politician. Everything He says in His Word is true. This is certainly the case with all the many prophecies of Jesus. They either have already taken place or will take place without any doubt. You can bank on it.

The Bible describes God numerous times as being a rock. He is a firm foundation for all who trust in His Son. All because He abounds in truth. Let’s give thanks for God’s truth!

Giving Thanks for God’s Faithfulness

The “keeping lovingkindness for thousands” speaks of God’s faithfulness. He always keeps the promises He has made to His people. He will continue to show His loyal love to His people throughout the centuries. Even when we are unfaithful to Him, He will never be unfaithful to us. A good picture of this is with the prophet Hosea and Gomer. Although Gomer was unfaithful in her marriage to Hosea, God had Hosea continue to go after his wife and even purchase her back from slavery. God will never give up on His people but continue to pursue and bring them back to Him. If our salvation depended on our faithfulness, we would have no hope of ever being saved. But thankfully, our salvation depends on His ever reliable faithfulness. Let’s give thanks for God’s faithfulness!

Giving Thanks for God’s Forgiveness

David says Psalm 32:1-2, “How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man whose iniquity the LORD will not take into account, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.” That blessing is only possible because God is a God “who forgives iniquity, transgression, and sin.” For the one who comes to Him in repentance and with faith in His Son, He will not hold their sins against them any longer. He will not even bring them to His mind. All of their sins have been taken away and placed on Jesus instead. Just like the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement who was sent off into the wilderness never to be seen again, Jesus has carried away our sins for them no more to be seen by God. He was sent to be the perfect sacrifice to truly cover our sins and satisfy God’s wrath. The debt we owed Him for our many sins against Him has been canceled. We can sing, “My sin-not in part, but the whole-is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O, my soul!” We have a hard enough time to let go of the wrongs that others have done against us. And the wrongs that we have done against God are far greater than anything anyone has done to us. But He is willing and eager to forgive everything we have ever done against Him and will ever do. Let’s give thanks for God’s forgiveness!

Giving Thanks for God’s Justice

We live in a world full of injustice. All we have to do is turn on the news to be reminded of that. People are defrauded, done wrong, and in many cases, some even appear to get away with murder. The most vulnerable are attacked and taken advantage of. Isn’t it refreshing to know that we have a God who is just and will always do what is right? That justice is seen with His declaration that “He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”

This characteristic of God should be horrifying for an unbeliever who refuses to repent. It means that they will get exactly what they deserve from God which is His righteous wrath. But for the believer, it is an encouraging characteristic of God as it ensures him or her that any justice which they have been denied here on this earth will be met. He never will do us wrong but only right. When Jesus returns, all wrongs will be made right. Let’s give thanks for God’s justice!

As you count your many blessings that the Lord has given you this Thanksgiving, don't forget to take some time to give thanks to Him for being the great God He is. For His compassion or mercy, grace, patience, lovingkindness, truth, faithfulness, forgiveness, and justice. Everything we have is because those are each true about Him.