“Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.”
Have you thanked God lately? With the Christmas creep that begins right after Halloween, and even before October 31, we sometimes forget about a holiday called Thanksgiving. For many, Thanksgiving is the best day of the year. We gobble up the turkey (pun intended) and enjoy a three-hour tryptophan-induced coma while pretending to watch football as family members talk about good old Aunt Tilly who has been gone for the past 25 years, God rest her soul. We drool at the thought of candied yams and stuffing and eating until our stomachs want to explode and decide to go to bed early instead of staying up to watch “Christmas Vacation” and “Home Alone” with the family. Black Friday has no appeal because we have the luxury of shopping online and avoiding the crazies who just have to get their hands on that waffle iron that also doubles as a transistor radio and you’re still semi-comatose from all the turkey you ate anyway.
Gratitude has become a hot topic in recent years. It’s known to improve mental and physical health. Showing gratitude releases the feel-good hormones known as oxytocin, serotonin, and other wonderful chemicals in our bodies. It can lower blood pressure and relieve pain. Hugging someone you love is a great way to show gratitude. Keeping a daily gratitude journal and writing down what you are grateful for is also a big help.
The most important way to express our gratitude is to give thanks to the Lord. All our blessings come from Him. He has given us a beautiful creation to enjoy. He has blessed us with people who love us and want the best for us. He has given everything to us. We should be thanking Him every day and not just on the fourth Thursday in November.
We can sing praises to Him. We can tell others about all the wonderful things He has done. We should thank God all the time no matter what. In good times and in bad, God is always worthy of our praise. We can write songs or poems to Him. God is deserving of our thanks.
How will you thank Him today?