Thankful for the Creator

While being thankful for good things, for people, and for many other things is of utmost importance, one of the primary objects (if that's even the proper word) we are to be thankful for is God Himself.

"Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His lovingkindness is everlasting" - Psalm 107:1

I'm sure you've heard of different acronyms to assist in prayer, but if you haven't, one example is the acronym A.C.T.S., meaning: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. We (all fingers pointed at me) can oftentimes forget that first word in there, adoration. But we are called to praise God for not only what He has done, but for who He is.

Many times over in the Psalms, the writer thanks and praises God for His character, whether it's His lovingkindness, truth, glory, or any other characteristic of Who He is.

"Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised..." - Psalm 48:1a

As Christians we have a relationship with God Himself. And so our response certainly should be one of praise and thanksgiving for Him.

How does that looks practically for us?

"I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders. I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High." - Psalm 9:1b-2

Some ways we can live out thankfulness for God are found in this verse. We could say that we see the attitude (all of our hearts), the content (who God is and His wonderful works), the result (joy), and response (giving thanks, telling, exulting, and singing praises). But let's break it down a bit more.

First, we should thank Him with all of our heart. That is it should be true, deep, full; it should be all of who we are. This plays itself out by first knowing Him more and more, and that what we do know of Him drives our actions and attitudes. In turn our actions and attitudes are expressed in a way that gives thanks to Him.

"Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father." - Colossians 3:17

Next, by thinking on and proclaiming His mighty wonders. Primarily in the church age we do this by preaching the gospel, and its impact on our own lives. It's an amazing thing that God would send His Son to die in the place of sinners. He should be praised for this, and that praise should lead to proclamation of the gospel so that others would be saved and Christ would have the fulness of His reward.

But God has done many things for His people over the ages, from the mighty and miraculous deliverances we see in the Old Testament (even the New), to the every day 'mundane' providential care He shows in our lives.

Reflecting on His works both in the Bible and in our own lives and the lives of other saints gives yet more to be thankful for about God. It is also something to share with others.

We also show thankfulness to God by rejoicing in who He is, by taking joy in Him. Many times I've heard people reference the Westminster shorter catechism answer to the chief end of man: to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.

We will spend all of this life, and all of eternity, growing in our relationship with this eternal God. Knowing that He is good, all powerful, all knowing, holy, righteous, loving, kind, forgiving, etc. should cause us to take joy in Him.

And lastly (for the sake of our article today) we can show thanksgiving by singing praises to His name.

The Scriptures, especially the Psalms speak of singing praises to God.

"... speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;" - Ephesians 5:19-20

Singing is clearly a Scriptural element of praising and offering thanksgiving to God.

There's many other sections of Scripture that touch on this idea of praising God, frankly it's all throughout the Bible. But I hope this small piece has helped you to think on His glories, and fueled your desire to proclaim His Name and His gospel.