It Is A Good Thing

It’s easy to fall into the trap of complaining and being unhappy with your lot in life. The Psalmist says: “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord.” (Psalm 92:1) In the Psalms and elsewhere in Scripture, we are encouraged to have a heart of gratitude and praise towards God and his benefits. So just in case you need help, here are three things that you can give thanks for today:

  1. We live in a land of peace and security. Most of you reading this are doing so in a country that is not experiencing war. Your daily activities are not endangered by bombings or attacks of some kind. Yet for millions of people around the world today, they face the uncertainty and insecurity of what might happen. Millions of others have fled their homes looking for safety. We can be thankful that we live in a part of the world where we can sleep soundly at night.
  2. We have an abundance of resources. It’s true that living in a first-world country can be expensive. However, we will all eat three meals today, or at least have the opportunity to do so. We aren’t going hungry, we have transportation, we have employment, we have shelter, and we have clothing. The list goes on. While we know God provides these things, we have them in abundance. Let’s not take that for granted. 750 million people do not have adequate access to clean drinking water. Half of the world’s population lives on less than two and a half francs a day. We have much to give thanks for.
  3. We have access to the throne room of heaven. Our spiritual blessings are no less important or meaningful than our physical ones. In fact, we probably overlook our spiritual blessings too often. We can be thankful that our sins are forgiven, we have received new life in Christ, and through him, we can pray directly to God our Father. We don’t need to wonder if God hears us. We don’t have to sacrifice the blood of goats and cows. We can pray with confidence that God hears and knows. Ephesians 1:3 reminds us God has “blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing.”

Each day brings its own challenges and our difficulties are very real. We don’t simply ignore the realities and burdens that we often carry. It makes life easier when we give thanks. When we list our blessings, it allows gratitude to take hold in our heart.
“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High.” (Psalm 92:1)

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