Thankful for God

Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done. - 1 Chronicles 16:8

How important is it for us to be thankful? Why? What blessings have we received for which we need to be most thankful?

A lack of gratitude is poison for our souls, leading us to selfish whining, a deep sense of entitlement and resentment, a complete absence of contentment and joy. We need to be thankful- intentionally, specifically and regularly grateful for God's great and undeserved blessings. Yet of all that we have received for which we need to be thankful, nothing is more important than being thankful for God. If we focus on the gifts but neglect to be thankful for the Giver Himself, we miss the biggest and best blessing we have the most important ground for true gratitude.

Yet how do we think about and express our gratitude for God? The Bible calls us to be thankful for God in three ways - to be thankful for who God is (His character and attributes), to be thankful for what God has done (His mighty acts of salvation), and to be thankful for what God will do (His precious promises). Let's together give thanks to God in these three ways:

Thankful for Who God Is

“The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.” - Exodus 23:6-7

Lord, thank you for being a compassionate God. Your compassion and mercy assure me that you care for me and will not forsake me. You are a God who cares for your people. You are not blind to our suffering nor deaf to our cries. Thank you!

Lord, thank you for being a gracious God, a God who generously blesses your people with abundance that we do not deserve. Every good and perfect gift we receive from your hands is a gift of grace, undeserved and yet freely given. You are so generously gracious and so wondrously kind. Thank you!

Lord, thank you for being slow to anger. I confess to you how quickly I get angry with me own children for their disobedience and selfishness, and I know you have much more reason to be angry with me. I think of many times you would have been just to deal with me in anger and yet you have dealt with me in tenderness and compassion. Thank you!

Lord, thank you for being so abundant in your love and faithfulness. You are not miserly in your love and you are not reluctant in your faithfulness. Your love overflows my expectations and your faithfulness is steadfast and unchanging. What an anchor of hope and a foundation for my trust I can find in your abundant love and faithfulness. Thank you!

Lord, where would I be without your forgiveness? You forgive wickedness, rebellion and sin, and I thank you because I know without a doubt that I have been guilty of all three. I have treasured what is evil. I have defiantly rebelled against your word. I have missed the mark and fallen short of you holy standard. If you were not a God who was willing to forgive, I would be utterly lost and without hope. Thank you for your forgiveness!

Lord, when I think of the sobering truth that you are a just God who does not leave the guilty unpunished, I tremble with holy fear. How can I stand before a God of perfect justice? How can I even begin to reconcile this perfect and absolute justice with your free and abundant forgiveness and grace and compassion? It is only when I look to the cross and realize that my sin has not been left unpunished, that my sin has been crushed by you in the person of your own dear Son that I can give thanks for your justice and your love as they met perfectly in the cross.

Thankful for What God Has Done

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. - 2 Corinthians 1:20

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. - Romans 5:8

Lord, you have kept every promise you ever made in the person and work of your Son, Jesus Christ. The promise of righteousness is kept in the gift of the perfect righteousness of Jesus. The promise of provision is kept in the Bread of Life, the Bread from Heaven, Jesus, who alone satisfies my soul. The promise of a homeland is kept in the person of Jesus, who will return and make all things new and who has promised us that the meek shall inherit the earth in him. The promise of eternal life is kept in his victory over the grave. The promises of comfort and joy are kept in the Holy Spirit, whom Christ has given to us to dwell in us. The promise of love is kept in his death for us on the cross. What precious promises and what a perfect redeemer! Thank you!

Thankful for What God Will Do

Look, he is coming with the clouds,
and every eye will see him. - Revelation 1:7

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” - Revelation 21:3-5

Lord, we eagerly wait and look forward to that day when Christ will come and will wipe away every tear, will finally bring an end to all death and sorrow and pain, will indeed make everything new! We know your promises are true and that you are a faithful God, and so we thank you, not only for what you have done, but for what you will do. We know you will do it. You never fail. Thank you!