THANKFULNESS

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be THANKFUL to Him, and bless His name” – Psalm 100:4

Our meditations on ‘Possessing our Possessions’ will be incomplete without a thought on THANKFULNESS! To be thankful is to have a heart full of thanks, leading to acts of thankfulness. Grateful is a feeling while thankful is an act. Thankfulness feels and expresses appreciation. Having highlighted some of our Covenant Possessions in Christ – deliverance, recovery, health, healing, comfort, help, favour, provision, defence – it is apt to have this interlude of Thankfulness, especially on a Day that’s tagged ‘Thanksgiving Day’ in some parts of our beautiful Globe. Thanksgiving should however not be limited to a day when you remember to be thankful for things, but should be a reminder of all the things to be thankful for every day. Let’s take a pause to underscore the significance of this attitude of appreciation and grace of gratitude.

God’s Word exhorts thus: “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1The. 5:18). He wants us to be thankful in everything; in all circumstances! Even when we find ourselves overwhelmed with life’s burdens, when the natural tendency is to be worried about tomorrow, the wise thing to do is to praise God for who He is and His promise to never leave or forsake us. He who blessed us with the free gift of salvation and eternal life will not withhold any of the other bounties of redemption from us: “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly” (Psa.84:11). Also, “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (Jam.1:17).

Many times King David, the Psalmist sang: “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His mercies endure forever” (2Chr.16:34; Psa.106:1; 107:1). We are enjoined to always approach God with thanksgiving and praises (Psa.95:2-3). Thankfulness is not limited to the testimonies of David and other Old Testament faithful. Paul also wrote to the Colossians: “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful…And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Col.3:15, 17). We often emphasize being prayerful and watchful, and rightly so, but there is a third leg to the tripod – be thankful: “Devote yourselves to prayers being watchful and thankful” (Col.4:2, NIV). Philippians 4:6 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Phi. 4:6).

There is so much to be thankful for. This is the time to reflect on Scriptures and relate them practically to God’s grace and goodness in your life. Find some quiet time in the midst of life’s business, to pray and thank God, to confess and vocalize His Words, and discover the thrill of a renewed heart that is filled with peace and joy! Why not begin to count your blessings and name them one-by-one? It’ll definitely surprise you what the Lord has done. Be thankful in all things! Why not write a “Thank You” letter to God, instead of the incessant requests? Why not create a “Gratitude List” of His many blessings?

Be thankful for the gifts of life, family, friends, teachers, and mentors – priceless relationships; for salvation from sin and deliverance from the dominion of darkness; for your heart, mind, senses, and organs; for health, well-being, belongings, and daily provisions; for education, career, profession or vocation; for life’s situation, and the strength and courage to go through; for heartbreaks that taught you to bounce back; for disappointments that became doors into divine appointments; for errors of the past that became lessons for the present; for the wisdom that your mistakes enabled; for nature – the sun, moon, waters and trees; for memories – painful and joyful; and for visions of brighter futures and a glorious eternity!