Give Thanks

Psalm 107 tells us five times to give thanks to the Lord. Throughout other portions of God’s Word we are told again to give thanks to the Lord. Some of the reasons cited to give Him thanks include:

• He is good
• His love endures forever
• His righteousness
• His Name is near
• His unfailing love
• His wonderful deeds

Notice that the focus is solely on Him. It has absolutely nothing to do with us. It is so easy to get wrapped up in the circumstances and situations in our lives. It is so easy to become so focused on our problems that we lose sight of God. Even if God never does another thing for us, He still deserves our thanks.

I Thessalonians 5:18 is a good reminder of this: …give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. The focus needs to be on the word ALL. In ALL circumstances—poor health, death, loss of a job, financial struggles, relationship problems—it does not matter…His will is that even in the most difficult circumstances of life, we give Him thanks.

Does this make your problems go away? Does this change anything? Chances are that you can spend the next five minutes praising and thanking God but when it’s done, your circumstances will remain the same. Giving God thanks is not about changing your circumstances. It is about glorifying Him through those circumstances. Oftentimes you will find a new inner peace, a deep appreciation for all the good things in your life, or a new perspective on things.

Take time today to give Him thanks. However, this should not be a once-a-year event, where Thanksgiving we spend more time than usual focusing on Him. We need to daily give Him thanks. Part of my prayer time each day is giving Him thanks…even if I have been hit hard by sour moments in life, there is always something to thank Him for. Life may not always be good, but God always is!