There is so much we can give thanks for to the Lord. I believe, “Give thanks to the Lord” (Psalm 107:1) is one of the easiest commands that exist because we have reasons to give thanks. For a people who love to be given explanations for what we are being told to do, this should not be difficult for us because we do have an explanation. Usually, in the Psalms, we are commanded to give thanks for the simple reason that the Lord is good. Many Psalms also list what the Lord has done in the life of his people, Israel by bringing a mighty redemption to them in miraculous ways. Something that I am just realizing is that giving thanks creates a heart of gratitude in us, which is probably the reason it is a command, since it is not natural to us even though it is warranted. In His goodness, God gives us a command that will shape us into better humans, being more like Him. In today’s post my goal is to look closely at the reason we should praise the Lord and providing ways we can create a habit of thankfulness in our lives. My prayer is that thankfulness be so ingrained in our lives that we realize we cannot do without.
Sometimes, knowing the human condition – its sinfulness can be discouraging because you realize that nothing good comes out of you, therefore, you cannot just do anything good diligently and mechanically. For example, you see the limitations of man when it comes to say, following a resolution. We have difficulties with commitments therefore anything that screams “permanent”, “consistency”, “continuity”, we run away from. However, what is interesting with us is that we are a people of habits so the more we do something (good or bad), the more we become it or the more it becomes part of us. This is good news because we serve a good God who has redeemed all that we are and has made it possible for us to learn good habits, habits that honour Him, habits that glorify Him. One such habit is praising Him, being thankful to Him. You see, by nature we are ungrateful creatures because we think we deserve everything that we have or better yet, we think it is the work of our hands that has gotten us what we have. So, one habit that God, through His words teaches us is to give Him thanks for who He is and to “remember what the Lord has done”. This refrain is everywhere in the bible, particularly in the Psalms, and it is the portion of the righteous, the redeemed. Those that Christ died on the cross to save and bring into new life now get this as an inheritance, gratefulness. A proud heart is turned into a humble and grateful one. God is good! He alone is able to turn something distasteful into something beautiful to behold. Truly, we who were unlovable have become lovable people. What is even more astonishing is the fact that He does not stop, He is continuously making all things beautiful because that is who He is. As I write this, a song just popped in my head “For the Lord is good” by Women of faith which reminds me of the goodness of God. I know sometimes we don’t know what to praise God for or at times, we might not see what we can be thankful for especially when we are going through difficulties but as the Psalmist did in the midst of difficulties, we too must praise the Lord. As a matter of fact, the command to praise the Lord or give thanks to the Lord is not tied to any conditions or situations which means, it can be done any time and at any frequency.
Now that we know why we should praise and give thanks to God, how can we practically incorporate it in our habits? One key ingredient is to do that in your quiet time with the Lord. Quiet times usually include prayer and bible meditation so if you already have a habit of meeting with the Lord daily, you will find yourself thanking the Lord daily. If meeting with the Lord daily is not yet a habit, start a plan to make it a habit, use a bible reading plan. You can also start to journal your day, particularly mentioning what you are thankful for on that day. As you do that, you will find yourself thanking the Lord more than you know. Another habit that can be incorporated is to create a daily reminder in your calendar to thank the Lord for something specific every day. As that reminder pops up, it will spur you into praising God. Another practical habit you can do is to sing Psalms that encourage you to praise the Lord or give thanks to Him such as Psalms 92, 100, 107, 134, 135, 136, 138. There are many Psalms with thanksgiving and praise as a theme but these should give you a good start. A final practical tip you can use to incorporate thanksgiving praise in your life is by submerging yourself with songs of praise. The more you listen, the more you will begin to praise and thank the Lord.
Honestly, as I write this I cannot believe how many things I can thank the Lord for in my life, I am also shocked at how little I do it, not because I don’t spend time with the Lord in prayer but because I often fill my prayers with petitions and pleas, leaving little room for thanksgiving. Having a grateful heart is not just expressed when the Lord has done something, it is meant to be continuous. It is not meant for just Thanksgiving Day or at the end of the year, it is meant to be the posture of the believer. We need to see ourselves as needy, even in our redemptive state, we need to see ourselves as creatures in constant need of the grace and mercy of God for we cannot do anything without those. Such a view of ourselves, help us be grateful to the Lord for all that He does in our lives. I pray the Lord gives us the grace to grow this habit of being thankful to Him for all that He is and for all that He does to us. Amen!
A Word Aptly Spoken 