“GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD FOR HE IS GOOD! HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER.” Psalm 136:1
The Thanksgiving holiday is vanishing between the Halloween costumes and the sentimental commercialism of Christmas. Eat turkey. Watch football. Is that all there is to it? Oh, and take a nap! Yep. That sums it up.
The practice of giving thanks in all things—which is what the Bible teaches (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)—is being lost and may be one of the most underrated spiritual habits in our generation. It’s been said, “if we really understood our faith we’d pray less and thank more.” We do not need to beg God for something he has already freely given us. Developing thankful dependence upon him is the perfect posture for anxious and ambitious creatures like us to learn to live in humility and trust.
We don’t have a clue how much Father has done for us. “He has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing.” That is either the most untrue statement or the most underappreciated. In 2 Peter 1:3, we see his wonderful provisions again, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life.” The psalmist gets poetic, “you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life” (Psalm 36:8-9). And listen to Paul’s comment to the Ephesians, “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace” (Ephesians 2:6-7). Did you catch that? It’s going to take more than one lifetime for God to show how vast the abundance of his nourishing grace is.
Hopefully, you know that we can learn to practice his all-sufficient presence right here, right now. In all things you can pray, “Thank You, Daddy, you have always loved me. You meet all of my needs. Show me more of your great love, and help me to rest in your love for me.”
Do you need a comforter, an ally who can be trusted? Yahweh is a counselor. Do you need a defense lawyer who will take up your legal defense against your accuser? Jesus is the Atonement Lamb who has silenced every accusation. Do you need an expert who can offer sound advice on the decisions you should make? He is the Wise King. Are you lonely and need someone to truly know you and walk arm in arm through life? The Holy Spirit is a constant companion and friend. Do you need a conquering warrior who is stronger than your abuser? Messiah is coming back on a white horse. Can you feel the heavens shaking with the fire of his justice? Are you bored, or lost in hedonism, or looking for meaning? Creator is the author and orchestrator of a better Kingdom filled with lasting purpose. What hasn’t he given us? What has he held back? Nothing! He has given all, including himself. The psalmist exclaimed, “all my fountains are in you” (Psalm 87:7).
Everything I need is in one great source. He is Yahweh. He came to us in the flesh. His name is Jesus—he loves and he saves. I am his child, his beloved. He is my father and my great refuge. He is with me. He is in me. He will never leave me. He is for me. His is the breath in my lungs and the source of my life.
If you want to live a real life, a life that is immovable and joyful and purposeful in every way, then live in this posture of worship, “GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD FOR HE IS GOOD! HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER.”
Tags: love, grace, rest, thanksgiving, contentment, thanks, gratitude, good, abundance, counselor
