Thank You

What does it cost to say, “Thank you?” Very little, if anything at all. Yet thanking someone for an act of generosity or kindness makes a powerful impact on our own spiritual wellbeing. By blessing others in acknowledging their kindness towards us, we are opening the door to God, allowing His blessing to fall upon us. It’s like a spiritual boomerang.

So how often do we say “Thank You” to God, perhaps when He has done something particularly special in our lives, or a healing, or provision for a friend in need? We may even thank Him in anticipation of what He’s is going to do. But as Paul writes to the Thessalonians, ‘Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus’ (1 Thessalonians 5:18). This is thanking God in every situation we may find ourselves, not particularly for the situation itself, but in the situation. As we continually acknowledge His presence, we can be thankful that He is constantly with us, and so gain confidence that we are not alone in our troubles. ‘And we also thank God continually’ (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

Thanking God at all times can also be a deterrent to the enemy. He is made aware of our potential in Christ, and is careful not to intrude on God’s domain. It takes away his initiative and dampens his flaming arrows. It invites the grace of God into our heart and can also prepare the way for a deeper healing. “Thank You, Lord, not only for past blessings but for all that is to come.”

‘I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips’ (Psalm 34:1). When we consider all He has done for us, from the deeper things of restoration and salvation, to everyday guidance and protection, we can know an ongoing relationship with Him, which we so often take for granted. He becomes our encouragement and strength and a very present help in times of trouble.

A continual attitude of thanksgiving inevitably leads us into praise. Our spirit begins to respond to the presence of God in our lives, which leads us to a deeper affinity with Him. We are drawn ever closer towards Him, and thankfulness born out of His love fills us with a growing sense of awe and wonder and praise. We are transported to the realms of holiness, before the throne of grace, surrounded by His holiness and glory. Praise grows into worship. We fall down on our knees before Him. “Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God almighty. Heaven and earth are full of your Glory.”

So let us not forget to say “Thank you” for every act of kindness. This is God’s will for each of us. And with God, beginning with thanksgiving, and onward to praise, may lead us to a realm that is not of this world, but of a higher order, to which we are called.