"It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
to declare Your loving-kindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night."
Psalm 92:1-2
If someone were to ask you to list the most horrific sins that you could think of, what would be in your top ten? I am sure things like murder, blasphemy, adultery, idolatry, and many others come to mind. We have universally recognized sins such as these as heinous and are repulsed at even the thought of them. However, when Paul was listing the gross sins of the last days, one of the trademarks of the ungodly was that they were unthankful. Think about that for a moment. How in the world could you even begin to compare ingratitude with all of these other sins?
On one occasion Jesus met ten men who were lepers. Each of them cried out to Him for mercy and healing. He told them to go see the priest, and as they turned to obey they were each healed. However, only one of them, a Samaritan, returned to thank Jesus for what He had done. Jesus blesses this man but makes a point by asking where the other nine were. To be unthankful is to consider God's goodness in our lives as nothing. We are dismissing His very character and taking His amazing grace for granted. Everything that we possess and that we are is because of our Father in Heaven. He has blessed us beyond measure. Even in the greatest difficulties and tragedies of life we can find His presence. I have found that it is especially there that I get to know Him even more. That is why the psalmist says that it is good to give thanks to the Lord. He speaks of praising God in the sunshine of the good days when it seems that everything is in order. He also speaks of praising God even during the dark nights where circumstances might not be what we would have hoped, but we know that even then He is faithful.
It is God's desire that we be thankful in all season and at all times. Paul told those at Thessalonica, "In every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." Stop and take the time today to consider who God is in your life and what He has done. Thank Him for the great blessings that you have received, and then swallow real hard and thank Him for the trials as well. You never know what God has in store for His children.
May you rejoice with a heart of gratitude today!
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