Our Hope: The One Who Deserves Our Thanks

“O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.”  Psalm 30:12

Most of us are taught, from birth, to say “thank you” for many things.  It could be a present on our birthday, or a ride home from school.  It could be a neighbor helping us with packages, or opening a door so that we can enter in more easily.  We often say thank you when we are praised, when a co-worker, friend, or even a family member takes the time to recognize us for something we have done.

It is second nature for us to thank another person for almost everything.  I know I have caught myself saying thank you to the toll booth collector on trips.  My grandchildren used to laugh at me because I thanked someone for taking my money.  The words just kind of effortlessly slip from our lips, because we have been conditioned to say them, and to say them often.

It is important to say thank you to people.  It is a way of showing you care that they did something nice for you.  It is an active appreciation of their efforts.  It indicates respect and kindness, between both parties.  It is the right thing to do, and we should remember to do it often.

So why is it so very easy to say thank you to a person, but quite often we overlook the One who deserves the most thanks?  Our God, who created us, who saves us, who loves us forever, deserves our thanks with nearly every breath we take.  Just think about it.  Does He not do more for us than any person you know?  And does He not do things for us that nobody else can, or will do?  He expends His time and energy every moment for our good.  He never sleeps, and He never is away from us.  He is God, and He is totally devoted to His children.

We give praise when we worship in church, in our singing, and in hearing and learning His Word. We give thanks to Him at dinner time.  We say “Thank God!” when we receive good news, or a miracle.  But do we really take the time to give Him the proper thanks He deserves?  Do we really thank Him?

“Praise the LORD.  I will extol the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly.  Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them.”  Psalm 111:1-2

He is Our Hope.  It is a simple thing to say “Thank you, Lord,” but it must be sincere.  If we say the words because we think we have to, if we offer the praise just because we should, then we are not really thanking Him at all.  True thanksgiving comes from knowing Him, and from recognizing that we would have and be nothing without Him.  A simple “Thank You” is an offering of praise that will be of great value in His eyes.  Because He is Our Hope is reason enough to say, “Thank you, Lord!” But when you think upon it, you will realize there is so much more for which to thank Him.

Has there been a moment in your life when you realized you forgot to thank God for something He has done for you?  Please go to www.mystoryofgrace.com and share that experience with us, and how you found your way to expressing your thankfulness.

Blessings!