Giving thanks to God
by Pastor Fraser Pearce
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O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever (Psalm 30:12b).
Read Psalm 30
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reminds his disciples that the Father in heaven makes the sun rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5:45). This means that even if people never acknowledge that God is the giver of all good gifts, and even if they never thank him for his generous provision of all they need to live, God will not stop showing his love for them.
This does not mean, of course, that people will never face difficulty and suffering. Even God’s people – perhaps especially God’s people – can experience real hardship and even the anger of God over their sins. Today we hear that the psalmist had become complacent after experiencing a blessing from God. He had thought his life was all in order, and he would not experience the chaos that can suddenly erupt in life (verses 6 and 7).
Perhaps you have experienced something like this: all has been going well, and you think God has made things easy for you. But then you lose your job or face health difficulties or a crisis in a relationship, and you feel as if God has turned away from you and is angry with you.
When people of faith experience things like these, they cry out to God. This is what the psalmist did (verses 8–10), and he learnt that although God’s anger can last for a moment, his favour is for a lifetime. From this experience of God’s favour returning, the psalmist moves from complacency to thanksgiving.
God is a loving Heavenly Father and generous to us even if we don’t give him thanks. But as we thank God, we start to live with the joy that comes from God, and as our Lord Jesus leads us in thanking the Father, the Holy Spirit grows as people who become mature in Christian love.
Father, since you have graciously forgiven me all my sins and generously given me new life in Christ Jesus, I will give thanks to you forever! Amen.
Fraser Pearce grew up in Sydney and has served as a pastor in Melbourne, Bendigo and Adelaide. He is married to Margaret, and they have four children, ranging in age from 15 to 24. Fraser enjoys being with family and friends, listening to (and playing) music and reading.
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