Thanksgiving for Revelation: Without It, We Can’t Know Ourselves

Thanksgiving for Revelation Is Your #3 Thanksgiving Reason

Thanksgiving for Revelation is an article designed to teach us the meaning of gratitude for revelation knowledge, the methods of expressing thankfulness, the reasons behind our gratitude, and the significance of acknowledging God’s revelation knowledge.

WHAT IS THANKSGIVING FOR REVELATION?

Giving thanks to God for revealed knowledge signifies gratitude for enlightenment that is not self-discovered but divinely imparted directly from the Creator to us, His creatures. There are two principal types of revelation: general and special.

General revelation is knowledge gleaned from creation itself, while special revelation is knowledge granted through specific disclosures to those who came before us, sharing their encounters with the Creator. Such revelations have occurred across various locations on Earth in numerous forms. This indicates that the concept of God was not foreign to us here in Africa; our ancestors had their unique understanding of God long before.

In expressing gratitude for God’s revelatory acts, we recognize that our knowledge of Him comes not from our own exploratory efforts but through His self-revelation. Although God’s existence is evident within His creation, it is only through His self-disclosure that we come to truly know Him.

Without revelation knowledge, we cannot truly understand God or ourselves. Life without this knowledge seems random. However, with it, we possess the power to comprehend not just the creation of the world, but also its purpose: to know the Creator and to deepen that acquaintance (Acts 17:24-28). A closer relationship with God enhances our self-awareness and our understanding of others.

Life’s complexity suggests it didn’t arise by chance. The intricacies of DNA, the human brain, and the eye point to a Designer, God.

We are grateful for this revelation knowledge. Jesus Christ acknowledged it when He praised God for concealing such knowledge from the wise and revealing it to the innocent, like children (Matthew 11:25). This is because our human discoveries in natural sciences often resemble educated guesses. Gratitude to God is an acknowledgment of His revelatory works.

HOW DO WE GIVE THANKS FOR REVELATION?

We express our gratitude in various ways unique to our personalities. I am thankful to God for imparting such knowledge, using words to express gratitude for the insight that life is purposefully designed, not left to chance, allowing us to act responsibly rather than whimsically. Indeed, those well-versed in natural sciences or engaged in scientific research cannot deny the existence of God.

We also offer thanks to God through singing songs and hymns that celebrate His revelatory work to us, humans. Our gratitude is further demonstrated through actions that reflect our appreciation for His revelations.

Our thoughts, words, and actions reveal our joy and gratitude for the knowledge God has revealed to us. We give thanks because many do not view the world through this lens. It also reminds us not to disdain those without this knowledge, as it is not born of our intellect or wisdom. Thus, we have no grounds for pride in our awareness, comprehension, or intelligence.

If God has revealed to us His nature, our own essence, the identity of others, and the character of His creation, it necessitates an acknowledgment of Him. He unveiled these truths so we might return to Him with gratitude. We did not solicit God’s self-revelation; it was His voluntary act. Thus, our interactions with God, ourselves, other humans, and the entirety of His creation represent the most fitting expression of gratitude. He created us to offer thanks and praise.

As previously mentioned, our gratitude can manifest in various forms, unique to each individual. We may express it through words of praise and thanksgiving, through song, or through deeds that demonstrate our appreciation for His revelatory works. Without this revelation, we would lack a true understanding of our identity. Knowledge of ourselves and others is crucial for living a purposeful life.

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WHY DO WE GIVE THANKS FOR REVELATION?

As previously stated, we express gratitude to God for His revelatory work, for without it, we would not comprehend God, ourselves, other humans, or creatures as intended. By ‘as intended,’ I mean that we are created beings, not products of evolution as hypothesized by science.

Our radioactive measurements are creations of humanity; thus, they are akin to educated guesses. Since our human knowledge is essentially our best estimate, the knowledge revealed by God represents the most accurate reality we can attain about our world and ourselves. This is the foremost reason we continue to thank God for His revelation.

There are numerous discoveries beyond our reach, and likely always will be, leading us to depend on revelation over our understanding. This does not imply that scientific methods are incapable of discovery; rather, they are inherently limited to natural and physical processes, excluding the spiritual realm. The spiritual domain appears too elusive for us to detect, measure, or analyze. Hence, we are grateful for God’s revelatory work.

While religion may seem a construct of our own devising, God Himself is not merely a concept or human invention. God is the Creator, the Architect of the universe and all within it. My belief in the Bible is grounded in more than ten reasons detailed in this article. Among these is the fact that the Bible foretold diseases like the coronavirus millennia before their emergence. If the book were purely a human creation, how could its prophecies and predictions manifest so accurately in our world?

WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF THANKSGIVING FOR REVELATION?

Being grateful for God’s revelation is crucial because discovering Him independently is beyond our reach. Our understanding of ourselves and the universe is inherently limited to what we can observe and study. The world encompasses more than just the physical; it includes aspects that only spiritual revelation can affirm. Such a notion remains speculative to our human intellect. We must depend on the revelatory knowledge from the entity who claims to have created the world, rather than our own conjectures.

The Bible’s historical and prophetic accuracy lends credibility to it as a source of revealed knowledge, distinct from the discovered knowledge of natural sciences. Evidence of a global flood, as described in Noah’s time, is found worldwide. Fossils and geological strata indicate that the flood was not merely local or regional, but global, aligning with scientific findings. This underscores the significance of believing in the divine creation of the world.

Macroevolution is considered a theory because it cannot be directly observed in the real world, whereas microevolution is a documented reality. For instance, humans exhibit a variety of colors, shapes, and features, yet all are recognized as human. Geographical and climatic variations contribute to the diversity within the human species. However, a direct transition from one species to another has not been observed.

In the villages of South Sudan, the concept of macroevolution remains theoretical. Local beliefs, such as weaverbirds transforming into rats, or frogs evolving into mudfish, are part of folklore rather than scientific fact. These narratives persist, though they are not supported by empirical evidence. Further discussion on this topic will be reserved for a future article.

MY FINAL WORDS

We are grateful to God for His revelatory knowledge, a supernatural awareness. We do not discover God; rather, He has revealed Himself to us in various ways and continues to do so for future generations uniquely. We must acknowledge that our human understanding of the world, God, and ourselves is merely speculative.

How can we discover ourselves if our knowledge is speculative? We do so by examining who we are already—our past thoughts, words, and actions—to gain insight into our true selves, not who we aspire to be.

This article focuses on understanding ourselves as God knows us. His knowledge is superior because He created each of us with a purpose. Through revelatory knowledge, we understand God as He truly is, ourselves as God knows us, others and creatures as God perceives them, and the universe as God understands it. This knowledge transcends physical or scientific understanding; it is spiritual, not religious.

I hope the article Thanksgiving for Revelation has been beneficial to you. I invite you to share your thoughts in the comments section below. Your supportive words, even if they include disagreement with my views, are greatly appreciated and will assist me in improving my writing. Additionally, I pray for your well-being during and beyond the global pandemic. Peace be with you.