Praise the Lord! Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His faithful love endures forever. –Psalm 106:1 (NLT)
It’s Thanksgiving-eve today and whether it’s a travel day or you are getting ready for tomorrow’s celebration, you will probably be busy. In the hustle and bustle of this day, there will likely be more reasons than you can count for why being thankful might not be on the top of your list today. Here are a couple of possibilities:
• You need to drive the family 60 miles to get to your T-Day celebration and there is a 10-mile back-up of stop-and-go traffic.
• The turkey is thawing in the kitchen and you didn’t know that your dog loves raw turkey until you noticed him gnawing on one of the drumsticks in the living room.
• You are hosting a dozen people tomorrow for dinner and all of your three kids have just come down with an explosive intestinal bug.
Whatever your day-before-Thanksgiving brings, allow me to simply remind you that there is always at least one good reason to give thanks, whatever your circumstances, and it is this: God is good.
Here are three of my favorite ways that God displays His goodness:
1) God is good because He gives us free gifts. Everyone loves a free gift, right? God is good because His gifts are amazing! We read in Ephesians 2:4-5, “But God is so rich in mercy, He loved us so much, that He gave us back our lives again when He raised Christ from the dead. Only by His undeserved favor have we been saved.”
Do we deserve God’s kindness? No. Do we deserve His mercy? No. Do we deserve His forgiveness? No. God loves us and He gives us these free gifts. This is a reason to be thankful!
2) God is good because He loves us unconditionally. God loves us not for what we’ve done, but for who we are. This is a core truth about God and worthy of our embrace. God’s love isn’t based on our income. It’s not based on our job. It’s not based on our looks. It’s not based on the way we dress. God’s love for us has no strings attached. There’s nothing you can do to earn God’s love. This is a reason to be thankful!
3) God is good because he offers us life forever. In the midst of all of the craziness happening in the world, we can be thankful that God wants our future to include real life! He offers us life to the full–here and now (see John 10:10) and someday, life in heaven. We read in 1 Peter 1:4-5, “and we have a priceless inheritance–an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.” This is a reason to be thankful!
God is good! He gives amazing gifts! He loves you unconditionally! He gives us life now and a future in heaven. So, what are you waiting for? Thanksgiving Day? There’s no need to wait! Give thanks!
GOING DEEPER:
1. What are the most personal and meaningful ways that you are thankful for God’s goodness to you?
2. Wherever you find yourself today, take some moments to thank God for His goodness.
FURTHER READING:
1 Chronicles 16:34; 1 Thessalonians 5:18