Give Thanks to God!

In the final stanza of this prayer we thank God for what he’s done for us out of his goodness and greatness:

God is good.
God is great.
Thank you for our food. Amen.

God is good; God is great and he is worthy of our praise and thanksgiving! Thanking God for our meals (and everything else he has given us) is not merely an act of politeness on our part—though thanking him is polite. By thanking God we acknowledge that he is our Provider. We declare that our hope is in “God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” (1 Timothy 6:17)

One of the great Psalms of thanksgiving urges us:

“Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” (Psalm 100)

When we cultivate a heart full of thanksgiving to God that spills out in praise to him, God is pleased and we experience great joy and contentment. Thanksgiving is the outward expression of a heart full of affection and trust in God. It’s for that reason that Paul could challenge us, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) In this way we demonstrate that God is worthy of our thanks regardless of our circumstances.

A thankful lifestyle also reflects holy living as Paul indicates in 1 Thessalonians 3:17, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.” (Hebrews 13:15)

© 2009 Rob Fischer