GIVING OF THANKS
A faithful Christian and a heart of thanks are inseparable. We join with and agree with the truth from the psalmist, that the Lord is God and He has made us (Psalm 100:3). I am not a higher form of animal nor is my existence a product of blind luck. I am here because of the laws that God, through creation, put into existence (Genesis 1:1; 26,27). Each day we should be thankful for our existence and the lives of those we love around us. A view of the world all about us from the physical world to the beauty of our families should cause each Christian to have so much to be thankful for and soon as the new day arrives in our consciousness.
What a blessing to grow up in a home where parents lead the way by going to worship when the saints come together. The stability in the home when a child knows that Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night, we are going to be with other Christians. When, as a small child, money is placed into their tiny hands to give when the plate is passed, hoping that in years to come when they get their first job, a portion of the salary goes back to God. Growing up in a home when parents pray, not only at mealtime but other times as well. Each new day should bring hearts that struggle with words to say to the Lord on high, "Thanks."
What a joy to have a husband and wife who love each other. Over the years learning to think alike about matters spiritual and vital to the soul. A man learns and believes that if death should call him, his wife will keep the children in the faith. A wife comes to understand that if death shall take her, her beloved will not allow those precious children to slip away from the faith. He trusts her love and she trusts his care and together they build a home whose sole aim is eternity with God. Such Christians can close each day and arise to each new day and say to the Father above, "Thanks."
It is no small blessing to grow up in a church where the Word of God is taught and the faith of Jesus the Christ is not threatened. Teachers armed with the truth of God in a loving manner take their jobs seriously and work hard to explain to young minds just beginning to open of the love of God. A congregation that is governed by godly men whose decisions are affected by their love for the Word of God and the souls under their charge. How sad to grow up in churches where a "thus saith the Lord" is discarded and man is elevated to be entertained or flattered. The joy we should feel knowing there are those who watch for our souls and the souls of our families. Should any day pass that we do not say to God, "Thanks".
Volumes could be written of all the things for which we should be thankful for, every day. If all we had was a hill outside of Jerusalem and the death of God’s Son for us, we could never say "thanks" enough. He died that we might live. He was raised that we might serve. He is a High Priest that knows what we go through in this life (Hebrews 4:15). He, therefore, continues to work for us and, hence, there is never a time when we would ever have the right to cease being thankful for what we continue to receive. The Christian who ceases giving thanks to God sows in his heart, the seeds for the death of faith.
Paul writes to the brethren at Thessalonica and commands them to give thanks in every thing (I Thessalonians 5:18). Some might say, "well, am I supposed to thank God for my broken arm"? That is not the meaning of this passage. We are, according to verse 17, to pray all the time. Our prayer life then should be used in part to thank God for all we have received at His Hands.
We are where we are today as a result of our choices which we have made. Good or bad choices affect the growth of our life in one direction or another. The idea, then, is not to be thankful for a "broken arm" but rather be thankful for the lesson we learned about the closeness of God to us in our trials. We, therefore, give thanks for that closeness knowing that the trying of our faith leads us to the point of trusting and waiting on God (James 1:3). May each of us pause daily to say to our God, we give Thee thanks for all we have received or ever will receive. O God, how great Thou art.