Week #92 It Is Good to Give Thanks to God

This week's post is coming from InTouch Magazine's Daily Devotionals (Nov. 24, 2009) by Dr. Charles Stanley.
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Psalm 92
Praise for the LORD'S Goodness.
A Psalm, a Song for the Sabbath day.
1It is good to give thanks to the LORD
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
2To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning
And Your faithfulness by night,
3With the ten-stringed lute and with the harp,
With resounding music upon the lyre.
4For You, O LORD, have made me glad by what You have done,
I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands.
5How great are Your works, O LORD!
Your thoughts are very deep.
6A senseless man has no knowledge,
Nor does a stupid man understand this:
7That when the wicked sprouted up like grass
And all who did iniquity flourished,
It was only that they might be destroyed forevermore.
8But You, O LORD, are on high forever.
9For, behold, Your enemies, O LORD,
For, behold, Your enemies will perish;
All who do iniquity will be scattered.
10But You have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox;
I have been anointed with fresh oil.
11And my eye has looked exultantly upon my foes,
My ears hear of the evildoers who rise up against me.
12The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree,
He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13Planted in the house of the LORD,
They will flourish in the courts of our God.
14They will still yield fruit in old age;
They shall be full of sap and very green,
15To declare that the LORD is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

Throughout the Psalms, we are reminded and even commanded to give thanks to the Lord. Thanksgiving Day should never become a substitute for the daily expression of gratitude to God for all that He has done.

Because our culture is largely characterized by ingratitude, we need to work at developing a grateful heart. Even in prayer, we can become self-centered and drift from one petition to another without a word of praise to God. Giving thanks refocuses our attention onto the Lord as we remember His love and faithfulness and praise Him for who He is and what He has done.

Thanksgiving refreshes our souls as we spend time with God, concentrating on His goodness and grace. Anxiety is replaced with peace, and despondency with joy. If you wake up each morning and thank the Lord for deliverance from the power of sin, provision for all your needs, and guidance for the day ahead, what is left to cause worry or discouragement?

Gratitude to God for His faithfulness in the past increases faith and strengthens trust in Him for the future. Remember how He carried you in times of pain, helped you in periods of weakness, and supplied all your needs. You can trust Him with whatever lies ahead.

To establish a habit of thanksgiving, recall God’s lovingkindness in the morning, and recount His faithfulness at night. Thank Him for blessings—and also for the deep work He is doing in you through difficulties. As you start to see situations from His perspective, your gratitude and trust will grow.