THANKSGIVING
04th Oct 2023
The last verse of Psalm 64 in The Message reads, “Be glad, good people! Fly to God! Good-hearted people, make praise your habit.” When I read this some weeks ago, I wanted praise and thanksgiving to dominate my life and become a habit. I have yet to achieve this. However, this morning my heart was rejoicing over the events of the last few days, and praise, and in particular thanksgiving was spontaneous, and flowed out of both Charles and me. We normally spend time in the morning praying together, but to be truthful we are often presenting needs to God, rather more than thanksgiving.
This morning was different, and as we thanked the Lord for His constant help and goodness, it was hard to stop, and words from a song seemed very real.
“From the moment that I wake up, until I lay my head, I will sing of the goodness of God. All my life You have been faithful, all my life You have been so, so good. With every breath that I am able, I will sing of the goodness of God.”
Thanksgiving causes you to honour and exalt God; to remember how much He has helped you in the past; how unchanging He is. Whatever life is challenging you with at this moment, as you thank God for past help, faith will rise and hope in God’s provision and help will become stronger.
In Psalm 78, Asaph reminds Israel of all that God has done for them in the past, great miracles, great deliverance, but they had forgotten. Psalm 78:11 says, “They forgot what he had done, the wonders he had shown them.” It continues in v42, “How quickly they forgot what he had done, forgot their day of rescue.”
God had so powerfully cared for them, but they forgot! - and so do we. Thanksgiving restores faith in a loving, caring, strong Father God, who hasn’t changed and who hears your prayers, is aware of your needs, and is longing to give practical strategies as well as miracles.
Spend some time in thanksgiving today, remembering what God has done in your past and what He will do today.
by Joyce Sibthorpe
