“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!………….
For His mercy endures forever.” 1 Chron. 16:34……….
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thess. 5:16-18……….
If ever there were a queen of pity parties, it would be me. I have a long track record, for decades in fact, of moaning and whining, complaining and feeling sorry for myself about this or that. Granted anyone who knows my story knows I’ve had plenty of pretty big challenges along the way. But the truth is ever since I can remember, I’ve been all too capable of being anything but thankful even when I’ve had more than plenty to be thankful about. And so it is I’ve resolved in my heart to purge myself of the garbage when I find my heart filled with it, and to make a concerted effort to be thankful. Why? Because it feels awful to be negative and unthankful? Well, that’s most assuredly true. But that’s not my primary motive. My main motive is this. The Lord commands us to be thankful, He tells us throughout His Word to love, praise, adore, worship, glorify, and thank Him, it is HIS WILL for us to be thankful, and thanksgiving is not only an act of obedience, but I believe it brings honor and reverence and joy and pleasure to God almighty when we express to Him, and share with others, our thankfulness to Him for who He is, for what He has done, is doing, will do, for his Word, for a forever relationship with Him for those of us who believe in and follow the Lord Jesus Christ, and for absolutely everything He blesses us with right down to our very breath each and every day!
Thanksgiving, thankfulness, gratitude, to God, and the expression of it, is a choice, you know. Most assuredly it’s a command, an ongoing act of obedience, and even a lifestyle for those who practice it regularly, but it’s also a choice. We can choose to be thankful, and we can choose not to be thankful. In love for, and obedience to, the Lord, thanksgiving is something to which we should continually say YES! I will be thankful! To the Lord! Oh, thank you Lord!