Thankful

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

By now, you’ve probably gotten into the habit of saying, “Thank you,” when you are given something. It may not always have been the case. How many times did you hear, “What do you say?” from your Mom or Dad after receiving a gift? If my Dad were alive, he’d probably say, “If I heard it twice, I’ve heard it once!” In my case, I’d say I heard it a million times or more!

It’s kind of like that in the Bible too. Over and over God reminded us to be thankful — “always” and “in everything.” 

There are many ways to express thankfulness. Here are a few of them:

Give thanks with your voice. Say it. Say it a lot. “THANK YOU.” Say it privately in prayers. Say it publicly. Express your gratitude vocally. If you want, you can sing your thanks too. Like Jonah who said, “But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the Lord” [2.9]. 

God delights in heartfelt gratitude.

Give thanks with your life. A thankful response to God’s goodness and faithfulness is a life of obedience Here’s how the Apostle Paul said it, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship” [Romans 12:1].

Give thanks through generosity. It’s easy to be ensnared in the “possessive trap.” Thankful people don’t have a vice-like grip on God’s blessings. Whether it’s money, time, or other resources, thankful people see these things as a gift from God to share with others. And they do it joyfully to boot!

It’s thanksgiving time. Think of the countless blessings in your life. Then find a variety of ways to say, “Thanks!” 

[Give] thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Ephesians 5.20