Always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:20 GW
Thanksgiving or gratitude is a state of being grateful or showing appreciation for a favour or help received. Thanksgiving is the predominating element in praise; and praise is the essence of true worship. Worship is acceptable to God as it is the joyous expression of the soul, brimming over with thankfulness and reverence.
The duty of giving thanks is that duty which may be declared natural to man, and which can be declined by those whose dispositions almost prove themselves not human.
Men are capable of gratitude and well accustomed to give it expression, but, through some mysterious blindness or perverseness, they overlook or deny the prime Benefactor, and, acknowledging not His hand, thus, give Him no praise.
We are enjoined here to present our thanksgiving to God. God is the Father of the universe, and the Giver of all the blessings which we have received, and which we behold around us. Therefore, we are to give thanks to him because:
- All things are His
- He has richly given them to us to enjoy
- His goodness is free
- It is His will concerning us.
We are to give thanks, not only for great and notable benefits, but for the least and most ordinary favours of God. Not only for spiritual blessings enjoyed, and eternal ones expected (for the things we have in hand, and for those we have in hope), but for temporal mercies too. Likewise, not only for our comforts, but also for our sanctified afflictions. Not only for what immediately concerns ourselves, but for the instances of God’s kindness and favour to others also.
This, we must do always; throughout the whole course of our lives.
