Give Thanks
Thanksgiving. Often seen as a season that takes place in the fall, sometimes as a speed bump on the way to Christmas. But if we’re intentional, we also remember to give thanks for all of the incredible things that God has done in our lives. We give him praise for the abundance we experience. We give him the credit for the promotion or award. We even sing songs of worship about the goodness of God. All of these are reasons to give thanks, for sure. And there are many places in Scripture that encourage this.
Psalm 9:1
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.
Psalm 136:1-3
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of Lords, for his steadfast love endures forever.
But there are other reasons to enter into thanksgiving. Like many of you, I’ve gone through seasons in my life when it seemed like everything around me was chaotic or upended. I’ve walked through times when my heart has been crushed by loss. I’ve felt the pressure of responsibility move me to a place of anxiety, worry, and even fear. I’ve struggled to maintain a sense of control when my own strength or ability was found lacking. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve taken time to think back through those times, remembering my weakness and how those times felt. Discouraging. Painful. Humbling.
Yet despite all of this, as I recall those times, I find something else stirring in my soul. It’s not grumbling or complaining. I don’t return to a place of anxiety. Instead, I find myself giving thanks to the Lord. How can this be? On this side of the storm, I can see how the Lord strengthened my faith, carried me, and brought me to a place of deeper relationship with him. When the circumstances around me spelled disaster or chaos, the presence of the Lord brought peace and comfort. Knowing the promises of Scripture moved me to a place of declaring the reality of King Jesus out loud – reminding me that I was not alone and he would fight for me.
Colossians 3:17
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Whatever you do – all of it – give thanks to God. This season of life is different for all of us in many ways. We haven’t walked through something like this in our lifetime. Many of us are experiencing isolation or loneliness in new ways because we must stay at home. We’re spending more time with our families than we’re used to, because all of the activities have been cancelled. We have more questions than we do answers. Even our experience of “going to church” is different without the ability to gather together in person.
Guess what hasn’t changed? That’s right. The opportunity to give thanks. The invitation from Holy Spirit to sit with him and listen. The promises we have in the Bible – written down to remind us of the things that are even more true than the circumstances around us. God is still good. He is still on his throne. He is still the Alpha and the Omega – the Beginning and the End. He still sees all and knows all. He is still with us.
So how will you respond today? In the face of circumstances, news, and all of the emotions stirred up inside, will you choose to give thanks? Will you declare the goodness of God in the midst of the storm? Will you choose to remember the faithfulness of God in the good times as well as the trials?
Ask Holy Spirit to give you grace to give thanks. He’ll meet you there! He is with you! He fights for you! Thanks be to God.
