Be Thankful!

One of my favorite passages is Psalm 107:1-2, which states, “Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.  Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy” (NKJV).  In addition to being among my favorite verses, these verses are also intriguing.  The Psalmist instructs his audience to give thanks to God.  It seems like one of the last things the people of God would have to be instructed to do is give thanks.  However, time and time again the people were given the command to give thanks to the Lord.  This suggests that God’s people were not in the habit of giving thanks to the Lord. 

Today, Christians have to be reminded “Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”  As good and merciful as God is, why would God’s word have to remind us to give thanks?  An attitude of ingratitude seems to be pervasive in our culture.  Here are three things to keep in mind as we seek to have grateful hearts.

• Remember that you have been redeemed.  Thanksgiving and praise flow from the lips of those who are ever mindful of their freedom in Christ.  Every day that we live we should rejoice in the fact that we are no longer slaves of sin and children of Satan. 
• Learn to be content.  It is often our dissatisfaction with how God has blessed us that causes us to be ungrateful.  We continually want more and can be so focused on what we want that we fail to see what we have.  Contentment helps us to be grateful so that anyway God blesses us, we will be satisfied.
• Reflect on the things that God didn’t allow to happen to you.  I am as grateful for what God has not allowed to happen in my life as I am for what He has done.  There are some things that we deserved that God didn’t give us.  There are some storms that He has allowed to skip your address.  Be as appreciative for His mercy as you are for His grace.
• Practice anticipatory thanksgiving (see 2 Chron. 20:20-22).  Thank God in advance for the great things He is going to do in your life.  Know that God can, trust that God will and praise like God has already!