A young boy was asked by his father to say grace at dinner. While the rest of the family waited, he slowly looked over every dish of food on the table. After his examination, he bowed his head and honestly prayed, “Lord, I don’t like the looks of it, but I thank you for it, and I’ll eat it anyway. Amen.”
Giving thanks is sometimes difficult. And for some of us, there is no harder time than this season. It seems that everyone is giving thanks for family, friends, country, faith, food and shelter. But it may be that your family has disintegrated in this past year. Or you are alone — with no friends and no fellowship. Perhaps you live in less than desirable circumstances and you regularly question whether there will be another meal. For what can you then give thanks? Or should you even try?
Scripture is clear that thanks should always be offered to God. And what follows is a brief list of items for which you may be thankful.
- Give thanks for God’s lovingkindness (1 Chron. 16:34). Others may fail you in love. He never will.
- Give thanks for God’s righteousness (Ps. 7:17) and truth (Ps. 138:2). The world may not understand the difference between right and wrong, but God does, and God only does what is right and He has told us what is right.
- Give thanks for God’s name (Ps. 44:8). In telling us His name, God reveals His character to us, and we learn why we should trust in Him.
- Give thanks for God’s faithfulness (Is. 38:19). Though others may fail us, God will never fail us. He is the One dependability in life.
Did you notice a trend in those suggestions? They all offer thanks to God. Not for the “toys” He may give us. Not for family. Not for relationships. Not for something as temporal as a meal. Give thanks to God because He is God.
One more thing. Thankfulness not only is an appropriate response to the One who has given us everything, but it is also a spiritual barometer. The person who gives thanks in everything is the one who is walking in fellowship and harmony with God. Lehman Strauss has noted that “When we come near to the court of the King of Kings, we must come with thanksgiving. If our hearts do not contain gratitude and praise to Him, the gate remains closed. The more we reflect on God’s goodness to us, the greater our power in prayer.”
Words of Grace 