In the U.S. we celebrate Thanksgiving in November.
But for the Christian, every day is a day to give thanks. Amen?
I like the way Psalm 147:7-9 puts it:
“Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; Make music to our God on the harp. He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.”
Simple words, are they not? But how profound, how meaningful, how true.
The psalms are filled with commands to praise God with our voices. It’s good to remember to whom we are singing. We don’t sing to ourselves, we don’t sing to the person sitting next to us. Who do we sing to? We sing to the LORD.
And how do we sing? With thanksgiving.
(I’m quoting the 1978 NIV. The most recent NIV replaces “thanksgiving” with the phrase “grateful praise,” and I’m thankful that the idea of thanksgiving, via the word grateful, is still included.)
But why? Why should we sing with thanksgiving? What are we thankful for?
Verse 8 gives us one compelling reason. We sing with thanksgiving because God “covers the sky with clouds. He supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills.”
This is not brain surgery. This is easy to understand.
God is in control of this planet. He’s in control of the weather. He puts the clouds in the sky and when’s He’s good and ready, He makes it rain and causes every plant to grow –the trees, the flowers, the grass. And all the fruits, vegetables and grains that we eat to stay alive.
Jesus said it like this, in Matthew 5:45. “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”
And because He does all that, you were able to wake up this morning, and live this day, and open this email and read about the grace of God. Without God covering the sky with clouds, without God sending rain to make the crops grow, we wouldn’t have coffee beans and bananas and bread, or anything else we need to exist.
David said it like this: “The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing” (Psalm 145:15-16). From His hand to our mouth, everything we eat and drink comes from our Good Shepherd, the One who makes us lie down in green pastures and leads us beside quiet waters (Psalm 23:2-3).
Would you join me today in giving thanks to the Great Provider?
And if you’re so inclined, feel free to leave a comment below to let me know what you’re thanking God for today. I’d love to hear from you.
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