ta very much

I’ve noticed a few people on Facebook taking the month of November to daily express what they are thankful for. I like that.

I think as Brits we can be prone to grumpiness. Come to think of it, the people of God in the Bible were prone to grumpiness. Remember how God provided manna for the Israelites in the desert? Remember how they managed to complain about his provision? It says in Numbers 11:

Then the foreign rabble who were traveling with the Israelites began to crave the good things of Egypt. And the people of Israel also began to complain. “Oh, for some meat!” they exclaimed. ⁵ “We remember the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic we wanted. ⁶ But now our appetites are gone. All we ever see is this manna!”

Contentment is something we seem to find a bit difficult. When God provides for us we seem to want more.
When we express thankfulness to God we are choosing to both acknowledge his goodness to us and our dependence on him for all that we have:

He gives breath to everyone,
life to everyone who walks the earth (Isaiah 42:5)

My husband is one of the most grateful people I know. Honestly, I hardly ever hear him complain or grumble. And I think I’m beginning to learn his secret.

He has a thankful heart.

He is thankful for what He has, and he makes the most of what has been given to him. He has taken up the discipline of thanksgiving and it has become a habit and now a lifestyle.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says

Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

There are some bible texts that are a bit tricky to grasp but I don’t think there’s much room for mis-interpretation here – if we belong to Jesus it is God’s will for us to be thankful. God knows that our hearts change when we are thankful.

So here’s some of my thanksgiving for today:

3 happy and healthy kids

Chicken Korma for dinner

A great husband and some wonderful friends

How about you? What’s your thanksgiving for today?

posted by Anna