Be Thankful

by Candace
from Virtuous Daughters, September 2008~Volume 8, Number 6

First, let us consider who should be thankful. We all should! We do not deserve any benefits from God. We deserve punishment for our rebellion against God. Instead of giving us what we deserve, God has shown us mercy and given us time in which to repent. He gave His own Son to take our punishment! All that we receive from God is a result of His goodness, not of any merit of our own.

What should we be thankful for? 1n 1 Timothy 2:1 and Ephesians 5:20, we are commanded to give thanks for all people and all things. That includes everything that I can think of that we could be thankful for, however here are some specific things that we can thank the Lord for: the attributes of God, His mighty works, our Messiah, all the spiritual blessings which are ours in Christ Jesus, God’s workings in our lives and in the lives of others, answers to prayer, fellow believers, the great salvation that we are partakers of, the privilege of having God’s Word in our own language, the religious freedom that we have in America, spiritual life, physical life, godly parents, siblings, food, drink, clothing, shelter, and fresh air. I’m sure that you can think of many other things to add to that list.
  
The Bible lists many examples of when to give thanks. A few of them are: always (Eph. 5:20, 1 Thess. 2:13, Heb. 13:15), in everything (Phil. 4:6, Col. 3:17, 1 Thess. 5:18), morning and evening (1 Chron. 23:30), and before eating or drinking (Luke 22:17, 19).
  
Giving thanks is an exercise of your faith. Thanking God for those things that you perceive as good is proclaiming the truth that every good gift comes from God. On the other hand, thanking Him for something that you perceive as bad is an acknowledgement of the fact that God loves us and knows what is best for us.
  
Is being thankful very important? Certainly! Many Scriptures command us to give thanks to the LORD. Thankfulness is a way to magnify and glorify God (Ps. 69:30, 2 Cor. 4:15). Not only is it good to give thanks (Ps. 92:1), it is God’s will that we do so (1 Thess. 5:18). Consider what the beasts in heaven do continually: they thank God (Rev. 4:8-11). Thankfulness should be a distinguishing mark of the saints (Eph. 5:4), and is a sign of being filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:20).
  
Here are some ways that we should thank God: willingly (Lev. 22:29), in prayer (Neh. 11:17), in vocal and instrumental song (Neh. 12:46, 2 Chron. 5:13, Ps. 147:7), and with our voices (Ps. 26:7, Jon. 2:9, Heb. 13:15).
  
​Let us be careful not to be those who take God’s blessings for granted. Rather, let us give God the thanks that He rightfully deserves. I hope that these thoughts are an encouragement to you as you pursue godliness!