Whether we find ourselves having reason to celebrate or to mourn, there’s never a time not to express our gratitude to God. Psalm 140:13 declares, “Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name.” Giving thanks is what God’s people do.

Alexander Maclaren advised, “Seek to cultivate a buoyant, joyous sense of the crowded kindnesses of God in your daily life.”

While we may only see our earthly circumstances, God is working to increase our dependence on Him and to make us more like Christ. 

I appreciated these thoughts on gratitude from William Law (English cleric and theological writer, 1686 –1761), excerpted from his book A Serious Call To a Devout and Holy Life. 

Sometimes we search for the will of God. But in several places, Scripture tells us exactly what His will is. Here’s one of those places: it is God’s will that you give thanks in all circumstances.

The person who gives thanks learns to be thankful. And the thankful person is a happy person.  

Years ago, I determined that I wanted to write a book on the importance of gratitude in the Christian life. But not long ago I read Nancy Leigh DeMoss’s book Choosing Gratitude and realized I no longer needed to!

There are so many things for Nanci and me to be thankful for this year. We’ve talked about how grateful we are for our family—we have two daughters who are married to godly men, as well as four grandchildren already born and the fifth one on his way. 

Tomorrow’s Thanksgiving, and I hope you have a wonderful day celebrating all that God has done for you. Perhaps it’s been a challenging last year for you and your family, but all the more opportunity for God to demonstrate His faithfulness and His grace.