What is the will of God?

todah – תוֹדָה

– thanksgiving.

In everything give thanks!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 tells us three areas where we can know God’s will: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

So God’s will for all His people in every circumstance is:

to rejoice, to pray and to give thanks.

Thanksgiving to our Heavenly Father should be on our lips morning, noon, night and every moment in between!

 The Hebrew name for

Psalm 100

is מִזְמוֹר לְתוֹדָה, ‘Mizmor l’Todah

the psalm of thanksgiving;

and

gives a long list of the many things we can

bless the Lord and thank Him for.

1Bless the LORD, O my soul; 

all that is within me, bless His holy name.

2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, 

and do not forget all His kind deeds—

3 He who forgives all your iniquities 

and heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the Pit 

and crowns you with loving devotion and compassion,

5 who satisfies you with good things, 

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

6 The LORD executes righteousness 

and justice for all the oppressed.

7 He made known His ways to Moses, 

His deeds to the people of Israel.

8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, 

slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion.

9 He will not always accuse us, 

nor harbor His anger forever.

10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins 

or repaid us according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, 

so great is His loving devotion for those who fear Him.

12 As far as the east is from the west, 

so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father has compassion on his children, 

so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

14 For He knows our frame; 

He is mindful that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are like grass—

he blooms like a flower of the field;

16 when the wind passes over, it vanishes, 

and its place remembers it no more.

17 But from everlasting to everlasting 

the loving devotion of the LORD 

extends to those who fear Him, 

and His righteousness to their children’s children—

18 to those who keep His covenant 

and remember to obey His precepts.

19 The LORD has established His throne in heaven, 

and His kingdom rules over all.

20 Bless the LORD, all His angels mighty in strength 

who carry out His word, 

who hearken to the voice of His command.

21 Bless the LORD, all His hosts, 

you servants who do His will.

22 Bless the LORD, all His works 

in all places of His dominion. 

Bless the LORD, O my soul!

These are reminders of the attitude of mind we should have; and because David knew humans, he said /pleaded in Ps. 123:3, Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.

And Malachi 2:16 warns us

Therefore, do not deal treacherously. KJV.

So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously. Amplified Bible. 

They had to be faithful to their covenant obligations. Faithful to their covenant with God. And faithful to their covenant with their spouses…..and so do we…todah 

Why are these warnings important?

Because our state of mind, our thoughts and our focus are powerful in their effects. Surely these are specific attitudes, (dealing treacherously), that we should never consider giving into?

As the enemy of our souls penetrates right into our thoughts, distracting our mind from God and our faith in Him; then our faith is of no value because it is in human ingenuity and in the flesh, which if we are not careful will rule our lives.

Having a heart, mind, soul and spirit that is centered, keeps us focused on Him as our source; and produces a thankful heart, a grateful attitude and an unselfish manner. The ‘holiday season’ has become such a huge commercialized time, obscuring for many the real reason it is even on the calendar. Mostly a western hemisphere event and Thanksgiving Day purely one for the USA, followed 1 month later by the Christians day to celebrate Jesus birthday. Many observe this day, although we are not told to do so in scripture, nor are we given a specific date. Truly, our lives should be a daily celebration that Messiah came; and surely that is the most important fact! However, He did tell us to remember Him….

Do this in Remembrance of Me 

Luke 22:19  says:

And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

This is how we are to remember and celebrate Messiah, every time we eat bread and drink wine/juice to commemorate His death and resurrection and the reason for it.

The provision at the cross is most importantly the spiritual aspect; and to eat the broken bread and drink the poured out wine.. isn’t this the real celebration, not what human society, culture and traditions over 2000+ years have turned it into?

We must be mindful of what our attitudes, motives and actions are really doing. Mark 4:19 warns us to beware of the thorns which are the cares of this world.

And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

Amplified Bible
but the worries and cares of the world [the distractions of this age with its worldly pleasures], and the deceitfulness [and the false security or glamour] of wealth [or fame], and the passionate desires for all the other things creep in and choke out the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

These cares cause and produce wrong attitudes in our soul because there is enormous power in simple things, like our choices, that distract our attention away from God.

We must refuse to be overwhelmed by the cares of this world or the pressure from friends, peer groups, families and children. In the west particularly, is an over abundance of material commodities purveyed through advertising. This only increases desire, lust, covetousness, demand, expectation and entitlement; causing greed, being dissatisfied, picky, choosy with ungrateful, selfish reactions. We toss what we don’t like, caught up in the worlds’ commercial agendas to separate us from the income that we worked so hard for.

Whose world system of commerce is it?

Certainly not that of our Savior or Heavenly Father. This is that which Messiah refused to accept when offered, so why are we allowing ourselves to be absorbed into that very scenario which is nothing more than a snare?

We should give and receive all year as led by His Spirit.

What happened to the days we were content with little?

The days after WW2 produced humble, grateful hearts, who were thankful for warmth and a small meal; and a piece of fruit and some wool socks. What has happened to society?

This is only one generation ago and with WW3 looming we would do well to remember that…

It’s not the gift,

it’s not the meal,

it’s not the value, size, or great bargain,

it’s not the piles of presents or mountains of food that are so often wasted or spurned because we don’t like it or its’ taste or color.

This is not, nor should it be our focus….

these are the Mark 4 cares of this world.

The worries of the world, the deceitfulness of glamour, of wealth, and all the other kinds of desires, push in and choke the message so that it produces nothing.

What are our holiday celebrations producing both in our lives and in the lives of those around us?

Let’s be truly mindful this year of the real reason for the season; and not be engulfed in the stressful, crazy days that steal our focus from giving thanks for all we have; and to remember the One to Whom we are indebted and spend shopping time with Him instead.

If you are still reading this post, then let’s read

together

Ps. 103 and Phil 4:8

we are to think on these things.

Let these things, be our list of things to shop for!

It’s an old hymn but full of truth!

When we are counting our blessings, and we should daily;

then we are not counting fears,

our lack or

our problems.

We are not complaining or miserable because of what we don’t have, or think we should have because we feel we are entitled, or because everyone else does.

All these things are added to us only as our Heavenly Father knows we NEED them.

He is far more concerned with the health and well being of our spirits, souls and within context, the basic needs of our bodies; not in luxury or to excess and over indulgence.

This world and its’ man-made traditions, are so temporary, so transient, so non essential to life and so very non-eternal.

The Messianic Hebrews/Jews to whom most of the New Testament was written and recorded for people like us did not celebrate Christmas and still dont! Jesus/Yeshua was Jewish the Bible is a Jewish book written almost entirely in Hebrew and Aramaic with some Greek.

The origins of the western worlds Christmas, date all the way back to 336 AD. This holiday was created by Europeans who lit up the dark days of winter. The roots of the Christmas traditions that we recognize today can be traced back to pre-Christian celebrations of the Winter solstice. By the mid-fifth century, the Feast of the Nativity had become popular.

The legend of Santa Claus can be traced back to a monk named St. Nicholas who was born in Turkey around 280 A.D.. St. Nicholas gave away all of his inherited wealth and traveled the countryside helping the poor and sick, becoming known as the protector of children and sailors. 

St. Nicholas first entered American popular culture in the late 18th century in New York, when Dutch families gathered to honor the anniversary of the death of “Sint Nikolaas” (Dutch for Saint Nicholas), or “Sinter Klaas” for short. “Santa Claus” draws his name from this abbreviation.

Research it for yourselves, the truth will make you free from cultural customs and the traditions of men. It’s good to know what we are celebrating and why, and if there exists any compromise in our lives, for the sake of traditions and/or personal choice.

Let’s give some time to prayerfully remember those who have lost homes and families to natural disasters, to those killed or maimed in ongoing conflicts and wars; and to the children who have lost parents or are in abusive situations, and those now homeless. The last thought on their minds is if the turkey is properly cooked, or how many of the gifts on their list they will get.

 

As the end of days draws ever closer is Jesus/Messiah even a guest, let alone the honored guest at our tables? And the greater question is, if and when we invite Him, would He even want to attend? Isn’t it more likely He would be eating with the tax collectors and sinners, feeding the hungry and healing the sick; comforting the lonely while sharing the good news of the gospel of the kingdom??

Isn’t this the real reason He came and died a sinners death for us? He didn’t come so we could have fun in our freedom… He came to set us free to serve Him. The abundant life is in the spiritual values not in the flesh life, which we are to crucify daily. Gal 5:24

Crucify the flesh …describes a deliberate putting to death of the old sin nature. Paul’s instruction was inspired by Messiah Himself, who said, If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. Mark 8:34.

The concept of crucifying the flesh comes from the words in Galatians 5:24: Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

In this verse, it’s clear that crucifying the flesh is

not something done to the believer,

but by the believer:

Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh.

The flesh and the spirit are in continual conflict with each other, so our daily calling as followers of Christ is to crucify the flesh: For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. (Romans 8:13;  Romans 6:11).

Because we have been delivered

from sin and death to

new life in Yeshua HaMashiach/Jesus Christ,

we are to yield ourselves to God for His good purposes and put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Colossians 3:5.

To crucify the flesh is to obey the call to discipleship.

It means losing our life to find it in Him…

Matthew 10:39. As we daily put to death the sinful nature, we begin to walk in victory over the flesh. Conquering the flesh is what Paul describes as walking in the Spirit:

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Galatians 5:16.

The flesh life that must be crucified is the sin principle that exists in our fallen human nature.

In this world we live in fleshly bodies, and the body, being weak Mark 14:38, is the gateway to sin. Our bodies, though not sinful in themselves, naturally crave comfort and pleasure, and they too often succumb to temptation, producing the works of the flesh Galatians 5:19–21.

Sin entrenches itself in the flesh, which becomes dominated by iniquity of all kinds. It is the sinful passions and wayward deeds of the flesh that we must crucify.

Above some things we can do to overcome our flesh.

We are not to live for the world and all it offers.

We are not to live for ourselves nor even our families, children, grandchildren, our friends or our church; we are to walk and live after the spirit and our desires are to be for our Savior and our Heavenly Father.

He will come in an hour no one expects…

Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

Just as the parable says, if the good man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have not have let his house be broken into.

 

Todah

Taw daleth hei

is the word used for thanksgiving – in modern Hebrew it’s simply used for thank you. It comes form the root word YUDAH which in English we know as JUDAH. Judah means

a heartfelt thanksgiving or praise

The word todah is spelled

taw daleth hei

The taw represents heartfelt praise and thanksgiving

The daleth represents a doorway and

The hei represents the presence of God.

So heartfelt praise and thanksgiving

is a doorway to the presence of God.

Again Ps. 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful to him, and bless his name. 

In Rev. 3:20 Messiah speaks to the Laodicean Messianic assembly who He says were neither hot nor cold. He stands at the door (dalet) and knocks reminding them of Todah.

The heartfelt thanksgiving that opens the door to His presence.

Many say this church in Revelation is how we are today?!.

Let’s make sure we are

neither lukewarm, nor cold

but HOT and on fire for the Lord….

Humble Obedient and Teachable

as we give Him

TODAH this season.

Todah Rabbah. Meaning:

Thanks a lot. Thanks so much! Many thanks!

From the Hebrew: תּוֹדָה רַבָּה‎ 

 todá rabá, – thank you very much.

pronounced: toh-DAH rah-BAH

Strong’s Hebrew: 8426. תּוֹדָה (todah) — thanksgiving

Togarmah. From yadah; properly, an extension of the hand, i.e. (by implication) avowal, or (usually) adoration; specifically, a choir of worshippers — confession, (sacrifice of) praise, thanks (-giving, 

Abounding with thanksgiving/todah.

One of the most important purposes of a todah meal was to remember the saving deeds of the Lord. Indeed this is one of the functions of the todah psalms: to recount the mighty deeds of God. Ps. 22:28.

The todah was one of the most significant sacrifices of the Jews.

An old rabbinic teaching says: In the coming Messianic age all sacrifices will cease, but the thanksgiving offering [todah] will never cease.

What is it about this sacrifice that makes it stand alone in such a way that it would outlast all other sacrifices after the redemption of the Messiah?

A todah sacrifice would be offered by someone whose life had been delivered from great peril, such as disease or the sword. The redeemed person would show his gratitude to God by gathering his closest friends and family for a todah sacrificial meal.

The lamb would be sacrificed in the Temple and the bread for the meal would be consecrated the moment the lamb was sacrificed.

The bread and meat, along with wine, would constitute the elements of the sacred todah meal, which would be accompanied by prayers and songs of thanksgiving, such as Psalm 116.

Here, the word thanksgiving stands alone and separate from praise. Isn’t thanksgiving included in praise? Why does the writer separate thanksgiving from praise? Isn’t thanksgiving an integral part of our worship and offering of praise? So why is thanksgiving singled out?

As already noted the word for Thanksgiving, it is the word ha-todah from the root word yudah.

It is very closely related to yada’ which means: an intimacy.  

It is thanksgiving that leads us to intimacy with God.

If you remove the article – (the/ha) – it leaves todah,

the first letter T – Taw which is also the letter for truth.

Messiah said that He is the Truth.  

And as previously noted, the Daleth means a doorway right next to the Hei which is the presence of God.   

So we could say:

our thanksgiving to Jesus/Yeshua for His sacrifice on the cross, leads us to a doorway or portal to the presence of God and intimacy with Him.

 THANKSGIVING – TODAH – תדה   Taw Daleth Hei

TODAyH and every day!

Let’s be certain we are

ALWAYS READY

in our hearts and with

thanksgiving

on our lips at all times.

Shalom shalom mishpachah/family

and cheverim/friends!

It’s all about Life and Relationship,

NOT Religion.

You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.

NOT SURE?

YOU CAN BE..

SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen.