God’s gifts are amazing. All of creation is an incredible gift. His compassion, grace, and mercy are gifts we don’t deserve. He cares about our physical needs and provides for us. His promises are beyond what we could ever imagine or hope for. He rescues those who have no hope and offers redemption and salvation. For all these reasons, God is good, and we should be thankful.
We should consider who God is, what He has done, what He has given, and what He has promised. Then we must consider who we are, what we have done, and what we have received. The very fact that it mentions redemption indicates that we’re sinners and we need redemption. When we understand who God is and who we are, we will be thankful people.
You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Part of the way we proclaim His excellencies is to do what the psalmist did: “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart.” That’s how we proclaim how excellent He is—by saying thank you from our whole heart.
Are you a grumbler and complainer? Then you’re probably not a thankful person. Are you a worrier, always asking, “What’s going to happen?” Maybe you’re not a thankful person. If you’re not thankful, perhaps your view of God is too small. Thankfulness is connected to how highly we view God and our willingness to trust Him with our needs and concerns.
A thankful heart reveals whether or not you have faith. Paul says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.” It’s good to ask the Father for things, but maybe we should preemptively say, “Thank you for answering my prayer,” trusting that whatever answer He gives is good.
Thankful people tend to be generous people. Those who are genuinely thankful for what they’ve received from God, recognizing that it’s not theirs but from a wise and loving Father, want to share with others. Thankful people are sharing people. If you’re not a sharing person, ask yourself if you are genuinely thankful for what God has entrusted to you.
A thankful person’s view of God proclaims that God is good, that God is sovereign even if it doesn’t align with our preferences, that God is a loving Father who cares for us, that God is full of grace and truth, and that God is provider, meeting all our needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus.
A thankful heart speaks of the value of God—His character, goodness, promises, faithfulness, and righteousness. It proclaims to both believers and the world around us that God is of great worth. The world may not value God, but our thankfulness is a testimony to His greatness and our relationship with Him.
The thankful heart speaks appreciation for who God is and what He has done. It says, “I understand who God is and what He’s done, and that is worthy of true, from-the-heart thankfulness.” What you think of God, even in difficult times, is revealed in your worship, respect, obedience, and submission to the circumstances He has given you.
A thankful heart underscores your confidence and trust in God. If you are thankful, you are saying, “I don’t understand why my situation is difficult, but God, you know, you have a purpose, and you are in charge. I’m going to trust you.” Thankfulness is an expression of confidence in God’s sovereignty and goodness, even when life doesn’t make sense.
True thankfulness is showing honor to the one who has done great things, given great things, and promised great things. Thanking and honoring are interwoven; you can’t separate those two. The unthankful person does not thank God, does not honor God, and their thinking becomes futile and their hearts foolish. In contrast, the thankful person fears the Lord, gains wisdom, and understands their role in God’s kingdom.
Gratitude doesn’t just change how you feel; it changes how your body functions. It lowers your blood pressure, reduces inflammation, improves sleep quality, and strengthens your immune response. Even the unbelieving world sees value in being grateful and thankful. If for no other reason than just your own personal well-being, be thankful. But as Christians, we know that’s not the best reason. Our gratitude is rooted in something much deeper—our relationship with God and what He has done for us.
We should be thankful for the Lord’s works, for His character, and for the gifts He has given us. God’s works proclaim His excellencies. His character—His righteousness, graciousness, mercy, faithfulness, and justice—are woven throughout Scripture. If God were not who He is, we would have no reason for true thanksgiving. But because He is loving, merciful, and just, we can come to Him boldly and give thanks.
Thankfulness is also a reflection of Jesus’ relationship with the Father. Does it not strike you as strange that Jesus, who was very much God, said thank you to the Father? We have examples of Jesus giving thanks for food and for the bread and cup at the Last Supper. If we want to be like Jesus, then we’ll be thankful, even when facing difficulty or sacrifice, because that’s the example He set for us.
Thanksgiving is a deliberate choice. It’s a deliberate choice to see beyond the immediate physical situation and rest in God’s salvation. Even when the harvest fails, the pantry is empty, and everything you depend on is gone, you can say, “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will take joy in the God of my salvation.” It’s about perspective—choosing to focus on what’s really important: God’s presence, salvation, and strength.
Anything under God’s control is never out of control. Is God in control of your health, your hardships, the weather, your boss, or even the president? Yes, God is in charge of all these things. Everything is under God’s control. Therefore, my situation is under His control, and I can give thanks in all circumstances because my God is in control.
Thankfulness is more about being than doing. It is a whole heart exercise of being, not just an action. If you’re ever wondering what God’s will is for your life, one of the things God wants you to be and do is to be thankful. If you’re not thankful, then you’re disobeying God. Being unthankful is being sinful. It’s as simple as that. God’s will for us is to give thanks in all circumstances, trusting that He is working for our good and His glory.
Thanksgiving is a way to honor the one who gives. True thankfulness is not just about saying “thank you” for the sake of politeness; it’s about honoring the giver. The problem with many is that they don’t honor God because they’re not thankful. Thankfulness and covetousness are worlds apart. Thankfulness honors God, while dissatisfaction with what God has given or not given is sin. The Bible makes it clear that these two attitudes cannot coexist.
Thanksgiving is more than just good manners. It’s having a disposition toward being grateful and living that way. It’s expressing appreciation from the heart. That’s why the psalmist says, “I’m doing this with my whole heart.” This isn’t half-hearted thanksgiving; this is wholehearted thanksgiving. It sees and appreciates the value of something that’s promised, even if it’s not yet seen, because it trusts the character and promises of God.
Notice four things about thanksgiving from the psalmist: it is personal, it is public, it is gathered, and it is wholehearted. He says, “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart in the company of the upright, in the congregation.” This isn’t dependent on what others say or do. It’s a personal, wholehearted act, but it’s also meant to be shared publicly with others who know the Lord, gathered together in worship.
We should consider who God is and what He has done and what He has given and what He has promised. Then we must consider, in contrast, who we are, what we have done, and what we’ve received. The result is a true overflowing of thanksgiving. When we see ourselves rightly before God and recognize His gifts, our hearts can’t help but respond with gratitude and praise.
Do you really appreciate the fact that if you’re a follower of Jesus, you are no longer in the kingdom of darkness but you are in the kingdom of light? If there was nothing else that you had, that gift is worthy of the praise that we sang this morning to the Father. He’s worthy of all praise. The very fact that we have been delivered from darkness and transferred to the kingdom of His beloved Son is a reason for overflowing thanksgiving.
