Give Thanks From a Grateful Heart

Scripture:

1: It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;

2: To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,

Psalm 92 (NKJV)

1: Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

2: Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! For His mercy endures forever.

3: Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords! For His mercy endures forever:

26: Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven! For His mercy endures forever.

Psalm 136 (NKJV)

Parents tell their children to say “thank you” when someone does something for them in an effort to teach them good manners. After all, it’s the civilized thing to do, to tell someone “thank you” when they do something good for you. But in most cases, it is perfunctory at best. They repeat the phrase at their parents’ instructions without giving it much thought, parroting their thanks out of obedience rather than gratitude. Most of the time, they don’t even look at the person they are thanking.

But what happens to the heart and the mind of a person when something that is exceptionally good or genuinely needed is done for them? How does their expression of thanks change? Is their response more likely to be genuine and heartfelt? Will they slow down to engage with the one who has done this thing in their lives? Are they more inclined to look at them and let them know the sincerity of their thanks? In most cases, this would be a resounding YES!

Thomas Merton said, “To be grateful is to recognize the love of God in everything”. In light of all that the Lord God has done for us, all things which are exceptionally good and genuinely needed, His people should continually give Him thanks with a grateful heart. The expressions of thanksgiving to God should never be perfunctory or disingenuous. They should always flow from grateful hearts, out of heartfelt feelings and expressions of appreciation and kindness. God has been good to His people and has provided them with everything they need for life and godliness (see 2 Peter 1:3). Salvation. Redemption. Protection. Provision. Hope. Joy. Strength. Peace. Faith. He is their ever-present help. He has promised never to leave them nor forsake them. He has promised to supply all their needs. And He loves them with amazing kind of love.

The Thanksgiving holiday is celebrated in November. But for the children of God, every day is a day of thanksgiving. Remember the old choir song? “Every day is a day of thanksgiving. God’s been so good to me, everyday He’s blessing me. Every day is a day of thanksgiving; take the time to glorify the Lord today.” Glorify the Lord today – and every day – by giving Him thanks from a grateful heart.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for the being Savior and Lord of our lives. Everything we have is because of You. Everything we are is because of You. We thank You with genuine gratitude because You are our Way Maker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper, and Light in the darkness. You are everything we need and more. Lord, it is our prayer that we never take You for granted, but we remind ourselves every day that we owe it all to You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Reflection:

“Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind.”

Lionel Hampton