I love how God works. This morning, I was thinking that I would finish and post something that I started to write last week. Then I decided to hold off on that and write about giving thanks since the holiday is coming up quickly. I got up, got dressed, grabbed some coffee, and sat down to read my Bible when the following verses jumped out at me:

“Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me” (Psalms 50:14-15).

I never thought about the fact that gratitude can be tied in with deliverance. It seems like many people are constantly complaining about their aches and pains and every negative thing imaginable. Their life never seems to get better but worse every time you talk to them. I wonder if God spends more times answering the prayers of those who have a habit of praising Him since He knows that He will receive glory from those people whereas the others probably wouldn’t notice a miracle if they saw one.

I am not meaning to sound harsh. There are some who are truly going through hard times, and there is nothing wrong with talking about it and asking for prayer. But even in the midst of trials, we should not cease to give thanks for the good things God has done in our lives. If you can’t think of at least one positive thing, you need to evaluate where you are at spiritually.

The verse above calls thanksgiving a sacrifice. This means that giving thanks might not always be easy, but I know from experience that, more often than not, when you are praising God, you begin to see more of your blessings and less of your tribulations.

If you haven’t been doing so, start today to consciously think of something you can thank God for, and begin to praise Him. It may be shelter from the cold, a place to lay your head, at least one person who loves you. If nothing else, thank God for His love. If you are His child, you have that even when everything else is taken from you.

I wish you all a very blessed Thanksgiving. Don’t get caught up in the hustle and bustle of family and meal preparation that you fail to acknowledge the one to whom the most thanks is due.