Have You Given Thanks Today?

Psalm 107:1 (ESV) says, “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” Have you given thanks today?

Everything good comes from God. We know this because James James 1:17 (NIV) says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” When we give thanks to God, our goal is to move from thanking him for what we have to blessing him for who he is. James did that perfectly! He acknowledges the gifts that come from God but immediately begins to honor God for being unchanging in his goodness..

Gratitude for a thing runs out quickly. As soon as that thing is no longer exciting, thankfulness wanes. Over time, gratitude shifts away from the gift itself toward the giver. If you bring me a cup of coffee, I’ll be grateful for the coffee, but after I’ve finished the drink, I’ll be thankful to you for bringing it to me.

When we give thanks to God, it is easy to thank him for the things in our lives. We should thank Him for these things, but we should move toward thanking Him for who He is!

Try this today. Pray, “Thank you, God, for __(insert thing)__,” but don’t stop there. Add to the prayer. “Thank you, God, for this cool morning, a reflection of your peace and your faithfulness.” Shifting the focus of prayer to his character opens the door for wonder and encounter. I might continue, “you are so faithful. I bless you for being faithful. I thank you for being steadfast and unchanging in your ways. You are so good.” A simple shift could spark a transformation of your prayer life, so thank the Lord today for who he is!

Amen.