Psalm 118:1
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
The Psalmist makes it clear that we should give thanks to the source of our blessings. Doing so, we recognize the “goodness” we have experienced had not originated with us. If I make an entire Thanksgiving Dinner, I don’t pause before I eat and announce to everyone, “Hey, before we dig in I just want to take a moment to thank myself for preparing such a fantastic meal. I think it’s appropriate to recognize that I’m the best cook in this family. I think we all can agree, I know I do, I just simply outdone myself this time.” If I did this my family would probably insist on taking me to a clinic!
If left unchecked, we can lean this way in our day to day life whether we say it aloud or not. Let’s break down my fictional Thanksgiving Dinner. Regarding the food for the dinner. Did I go hunting and shoot the Turkey? No. The only hunting I did was in the meat department at Publix. Did I get the corn, green beans, potatoes, and pumpkin from my garden? Nope. I don’t have one. Even if I had a garden, did I bring the rain? No, even if I watered the garden I didn’t provide the water. You see where I’m going with this.
Hey, God has allowed my heart to pump and my lungs to process oxygen. My very existence and everything that follows is attributed to the grace of God. The source of every blessing in my life.
This very God is “good.” Man, He is good! Not because He gives me all kinds of things to make me happy and to make my life easier. Think of it this way. He’s not good because He gives me good things, good people, good provisions, good experiences etc. He gives me all that He does because He Is Good!
Let’s just not look to His giving hand to get stuff. Let’s look to His loving heart and enjoy Him as our Good God. When we do this, we will find it easier to thank Him for Him. The source of all our blessings!
Happy Thanksgiving,
Corporate Chaplain
Mike Bynum