Give thanks? For what?

Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers. Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you.

Observe the commands of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and revering him. For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land--a land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.

When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you (Deuteronomy 8:1-10).

It’s been a tough year. Hurricanes have destroyed so many homes and businesses in the Gulf States and points further south. There was the tremendous earthquake in Pakistan, killing tens of thousands and leaving millions without shelter. There has been significant flooding along the northeastern seaboard. And let us not forget the Tsunami of last December, which killed over 100,000 people in several Asian countries.

It’s been a tough year. The death toll of American soldiers serving in Iraq has now exceeded 2,000 slain. Fuel prices hit a record high, impacting the cost of producing and marketing food, the cost of getting to work, and the cost of heating our homes and businesses.

It’s been a tough year. Sickness has touched either you or someone that you care about. People that you love have left you by moving away or dying. Over these past twelve months you have seen something precious to you lost, damaged, or taken away. It’s been a tough year for everybody.

How then can anyone come before God this Thanksgiving and honestly tell Him "thank You?" Thanks? Thanks for what? What do you have to be thankful for?

Let’s start with the fact that you are alive today. Has God ever promised that you would live to be a senior citizen? No. God does not guarantee long life to anyone. From reading the Bible we see that death can come at any time. During the past 24 hours, over 150,000 people worldwide have died from various causes; these deaths span the range of infancy to old age. The fact that you are alive today is a gift from God, pure and simple.

Then there’s the fact that you are reading this devotion. Your interest tells me that the Holy Spirit is working in your heart. If you did not have a relationship with God’s Spirit, you wouldn’t be here—Scripture tells us: people who aren't Christians can't understand these truths from God's Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them because only those who have the Spirit can understand what the Spirit means (1 Corinthians 2:14).

When God’s Spirit lives in you, you have what is necessary to be saved—faith in God’s Son, Jesus Christ. The Spirit reveals God's Law to you—that you are a sinner, condemned by God to hell for not only being impure, but also for enjoying your corrupt desires. The Spirit also reveals the Gospel to you—the Good News that Jesus took your place on the cross of your sins, took the punishment that God had reserved for you and died the terrible death that you had coming. When the Spirit lives in you, He forges a bond between you and Jesus, a bond of faith by which the Lord pulls you to Himself and restores you to the family of God, forgiven and declared pure.

Did God have to send His Son to suffer and die for you? Have you done anything to deserve Jesus’ sacrifice on your behalf? No. The fact that you can receive salvation by faith in Jesus is a gift from God, as Paul reminds us in Ephesians chapter 2, verses 8-9: God saved you by his grace through faith in him. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. Because of God’s mercy, you have been spared hell and promised heaven.

Your life has been blessed with people who care about you. This might include parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, nephews and nieces, cousins and friends that you’ve made over the years. The people who’ve cared about you might include a husband or a wife, children and grandchildren, son-in-laws and daughter-in-laws. But most importantly, Jesus loves you, and those who Jesus loves, love each other as well—the love of Christ makes us all brothers and sisters through our common faith. No matter what is going on in your life or where you live, there are Christian brothers and sisters who care about you and are praying for you.

Has it occurred to you that God has surrounded your life with beauty? Think of the colors you can see—the rich blue of the sky, the healthy green of the grass, the warm reds and oranges of autumn leaves, the brilliant white of new-fallen snow. Think of the things you can see—the wonder of birds in flight, the majesty of a deer in the woods, the smile of love on a face that is dear to you. Think of the music that surrounds you—amid the clutter coming from radios and televisions, there is truly beautiful music in this world. Think of the sounds that chase away the loneliness—bird songs in the morning, the patter of rain against a window, the laughter of a happy child. Think of the textures brushing against your skin—the cool smoothness of cotton sheets in the night, the massaging warmth of a vigorous shower, the gentleness of a hand held lovingly in yours. Think of the smells that gladden your heart—the fragrance of spring lilacs, the inviting odor of bread baking in the oven, the hint of perfume or aftershave clinging to the person you love. Think of the beauty brought by taste—the simple pleasure of a grilled piece of meat, a serving of steamed vegetables, a bowl of cereal or a fresh piece of fruit. Your five senses are bombarded with God’s gifts of beauty every day; there is so much beauty in your life that you have grown accustomed to it and tune out most of it.

What else do you have to be thankful for? How about the fact that the world is still here? God has not revealed when the Last Day will come; you might even be a bit surprised that God hasn’t ended things already! But the sun still rises and sets, the seasons still come and go, and because of this we have the opportunity to tell our Lord thank you. We can thank Him with our prayers. We can thank Him by singing hymns that praise His glory. We can thank Him by giving a gift of money to support the work of His Church. We can thank Him by becoming an active member in one of His congregations. We can thank Him by giving Him the credit when someone pays us a compliment on a job well done. We can show our appreciation by how we live our lives—so every day that we have on this earth is a chance to thank God for all that He has done for us.

What do you have to be thankful for? Plenty! And I haven’t even touched on your home, your job, or the things that fill your closets, your basement, or your garage. God has blessed you in ways that are uncountable; you and I have an embarrassment of riches, of blessings that God has given us. Yet how often do we fail to notice them or appreciate them? It’s easy to overlook such simple things when we’re busy throwing ourselves a pity party. Did God guarantee us any of these things? Did God promise us a lifetime of good health, a six-figure income, and loads of leisure time? Not at all. Does God owe us anything? Are we so important or so useful to Him that God must shower us with gifts? Not at all. James tells us, Every good and perfect gift is from above (James 1:17). Everything that is good in our lives comes from God, and they come as gifts, expressions of His unwarranted love for us.

The Israelites spent 40 years walking through the wilderness because of their ingratitude. God had brought them to a good land--a land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey. But when they saw that moving into this land would involve fighting the people already living there, the Israelites were not grateful—instead, they threw up their hands in despair and talked about returning to their former lives of slavery in Egypt. They could not see the blessings of the Promised Land, only the potential problems. They did not thank God for the wonderful opportunity for a new life that He offered them; instead of trusting in God’s care, they complained. So God led them in circles out in the wilderness until the complainers had all died off. During that time of wandering, their children came to appreciate every little thing God did for them. During all those years of living in barren land, God gave them bread from the morning dew—although they had the same menu day after day, they appreciated God’s gift of food. During all those years of walking, their feet did not swell up nor did their clothing wear out—although they did not have rest from travelling or fancy new clothes, they appreciated these evidences of God’s continuing care for them. Hardship can help us see God’s blessings with greater clarity.

It’s been a tough year. Nevertheless, if we stop with the self-pity and instead look carefully at all the wonderful things God has gifted us with, it is evident that we have much to be thankful for. So tell your Lord how thankful you are today. Tell Him with your mouth and show Him with your life. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever (Psalm 106:1).