“[God said,] ‘What I want from you is your true thanks; I want your promises fulfilled. I want you to trust me in your times of trouble, so I can rescue you and you can give me glory.’ ”
— Psalm 50:14 (TLB)
Whatever the circumstances, no matter what, we should always have “Thank you, God” on our minds. After all, the Almighty has given us our life, parents, BFFs, our health, our pets. We can see, hear, speak, smell, taste, and feel. We live in a beautiful world full of beautiful creatures and landscapes.
Jesus continually thanked his Father for everything. That tells us how important an attitude of gratitude must be.
Okay, but what if we get an “F” on our finals, or don’t make the cheerleading team, or our parents divorce? We can’t be expected to think Gee, thanks, God for that.
Well, actually, you can — and should. Life is tough at times, but there is at least a hint of good in every situation that you can be grateful for. The Bible says, “Give thanks in all circumstances: for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). When we do this, we’re saying to God that we believe he’s a loving Father who has a plan for us. And though we might not understand what it’s all about, he does. We can trust that God will use even the hard stuff for good before all is said and done.
More To Explore: Psalm 106:1 and Ephesians 5:19 – 20
Girl Talk: Jesus healed ten lepers. But only one returned to thank him. When God does something spectacular in your life, do you say, “Thank you?”
God Talk: “Dear God, remind me not to complain about what I don’t have and focus instead on thanking you for what I do have. Amen.”
From Whatever: Livin’ the True, Noble, Totally Excellent Life by Allia Zobel Nolan