I am very thankful. Every day I win lotteries I never entered. People I’ve never met leave me millions in inheritance. Millionaires offer me lots of money just to help get theirs out of some country. Even as I write this, I have been blessed twelve more times.

I’m kidding, of course. I do receive such emails and messages, countless it seems, but they are all lies. I hope you’ve never fallen victim to them. Yet it does make me think. Maybe we need to give some thought to what we should truly be thankful for.

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever.

1 This verse is repeated often by all kinds of people in different situations. Some have experienced a wonderful blessing in difficult times. Others look to what they expect to receive.

The goodness of God is always rooted in His love.

But these words express the understanding that without God…We have nothing. We deserve nothing. We can expect nothing. We will receive nothing. When we pray to the Creator of the Universe with such humility, thanksgiving flows freely from the heart.

Yet many refuse to kneel in unworthiness because their hearts desire to stand in the treasure of money, possessions, and attention. Seeking God and knowing Him are not enough. They will thank God for the things of this world, not simply because He is good.

There’s something else here. The goodness of God, the reason for why we are to give Him thanks, is rooted in the fact that His love is consistent, it is constant, and it lasts. We can count on that. And yet, there’s even more to these words.

The love God has for us withstands everything forever.

God loves the world, but His love is also specific. He loves you with an everlasting love. When you were controlled by sin, He loved you. Before you were born, He loved you. And because of His love, He came, He died, He rose, He lives, and He reigns!

Jesus came to give us eternal life and a home beyond this world. He came so that we might know and love Him. He came not to take us away from the harshness of this world but to lead us through it. And we can give thanks to God, because…He came!

If I could win lotteries, live in mansions, and have money to buy all my heart desired, it would mean nothing compared to being loved by God. The things of this world do not define me or give power to my voice. And given the choice, I would give them up just to follow Him. How about you?

Give thanks to God, for He alone is good; His love for us endures…forever!

Take care & be God’s…I need you.

 

Chuck

 

Chuck Graham is Founder and Executive Director of Ciloa, an international ministry devoted to sharing God’s encouragement and teaching how to encourage one another. Also an author and speaker, Chuck and his wife, Beverly, live in Lawrenceville, Georgia, USA. Learn more about Chuck and Ciloa at www.Ciloa.org .

Footnotes : (1) 1 Chronicles 16:34, NIV. (2) The original version of this Note first appeared November 19, 2007.

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