I woke up this morning singing a little chorus that we used to sing at church:
“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord
It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord
and to sing praises to the Lord most High.”
It is a good day for gratitude. That little chorus came from the words of Psalm 92.
“It is good to praise the Lord. God Most High, it is good to praise your name. 2 It is good to sing about your love in the morning and about your faithfulness at night. 3 It is good to play for you on the ten-stringed instrument and lyre and to add the soft sounds of the harp to my praise. 4 Lord, you make us very happy because of what you did. I gladly sing about it.
5 Lord, you did such great things. Your thoughts are too hard for us to understand.” Psalm 92:1-5 ERV
Some think there has to be a grandiose reason for being grateful to the Father. Things like being saved from a near death experience or a huge financial windfall but what about all the small things that add value to our daily lives.
There’s a brisk wind gusting this morning and I can enjoy the breeze coming through the windows but I’m grateful that I’m not in a tent, that would be less pleasurable. Of course, you always know that I’m grateful for a hot cup of coffee first thing each morning and the quiet time that I spend with the Father, enjoying His presence.
I’m especially thankful for technology advancements. Our granddaughter was married yesterday, and we were able to view the full ceremony last night because it had been saved to YouTube.
Those of you who are younger may think something like that is silly, but I remember the days when the only phone in the house was on the kitchen wall and the only time we talked to someone outside our local area was on Sunday afternoon/evening when the rates were low. There was no streaming, no cell phones, no texting – yes, it was the dark ages.
We have so much to be grateful for: grocery stores with stocked shelves, free schools (many countries still allow boys to go to school free but girls are charged tuition). Most of us live within a few miles of medical attention, we don’t have to drive hundreds of miles to a doctor or hospital. We have clean water to drink. The ability to travel from place to place without restriction. We are still free to worship God as we please.
“Sing a new song to the Lord! Let the whole earth sing to the Lord! 2 Sing to the Lord; praise his name. Each day proclaim the good news that he saves. 3 Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.” Psalm 96:1-3 NLT
This is a good day to declare the news that Jesus saves!
“The Lord made this happen, and we think it is wonderful! 24 This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be happy today. 25 The people say, “Praise the Lord! The Lord saved us!” Psalm 118:23-25 ERV
There are so many things to be thankful for, as my good friend Winnie the Pooh says, “today’s my favorite day”!