By Joseph Ametepe
"It is good to give thanks to the LORD, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High"(Psalm 92:1).
The Bible's teaching here is simple and straightforward. Thanksgiving to God is a good thing for the believer to do. Often, we struggle with what's a good thing to do in a given moment. If you find yourself asking the question: "What's a good thing for me to do today?" You can answer that question by simply lifting up your heart to God in thanksgiving. Why? His Word says giving thanks to Him is a good thing. The Hebrew word translated "good" is "tov." It is a very rich word. It also means pleasant, beautiful, excellent, lovely, delightful, joyful, precious, sound, correct, cheerful, or righteous. Also, the Hebrew word for "give thanks" comes from an important Hebrew verb, "yadah." It also means, to speak out, to confess, to praise, to sing, to thank.
No one can deny the fact that it is pleasant and proper to give thanks to the Lord our God. It's good for the one who offers the thanks. It cheers your spirit. It enriches your soul. It's also good for the One who hears it. It delights the heart of God. Giving thanks is good in the sense that the Lord to whom we lift up our gratitude deserves such gratitude. When a sincere thanksgiving rises from the heart of the believer to God, it leads to a "big smile" on God's face. This is because, like a loving and caring Father, God takes pleasure in our thanksgiving. It reveals how appreciative we are of Him. It shows how accepting we are of His ways in our lives. It demonstrates how approving we are of His dealings with us.
God wants us to be people whose hearts overflow with thanksgiving to Him. He wants us to grow in expressing genuine gratitude to Him. Not only when things are going well for us, but also when we are going through tough and trying times. How are you doing in that? Do you find yourself giving thanks to God only when He responds positively to your requests? Or do you bless and praise His name, like Job initially did, even when He allows distress and difficult times in your life? I must confess, sometimes I find it easier to thank God when He answers my prayers in an encouraging manner. But with the help of the Holy Spirit, I have been pouring out my heart to Him in gratitude in my difficult circumstances. This, I believe, brings a "bigger smile" on God's face. Choose today to bring a "big smile" on God's face by simply and sincerely saying to Him on a regular basis: "Thank You Lord" (TYL). Commit yourself to expressing gratitude to God in both the difficult and delightful times. Count on the Spirit's power to help you grow and overflow with thanks to God no matter what you are going through. Remember, it is good to give thanks to the Lord! You can express your thanks to God by speaking it out, singing a hymn of thanksgiving to Him, or praising Him. Whichever way God's Spirit leads you, let your life be a fragrant aroma of thanksgiving to God! Let your life be a testimony of overflowing gratitude to the praise of God's glory!