IN WORD The distance of God is an all-too-common malady among believers. It isn’t that God is really distant, but we go through waves of feeling that He is. Sometimes the waves are prolonged—circumstances batter us, discouragement plagues us, and God seems far, far away.
God’s prescription for entering His presence is to give thanks. This verse doesn’t just tell us the right attitude with which we are to enter His gates; it also tells us the means by which we enter them. Thanksgiving coupled with praise will bring us to where He is; or it will bring Him to where we are. Either way, we find that worshipful gratitude is the right place to be. God lives where He is acknowledged.
If God doesn’t seem to be living near you, perhaps there is something lacking in your acknowledgement. You rarely see gratitude in someone who thinks negatively about life.
Why? Pessimistic thoughts remove the glory of His presence. Negative thinking is not faith; it’s the antithesis of reality from God’s point of view. Reality, as He defines it, is all about who He is and what He does. Negativity isn’t. It assumes the worst. It feeds—and is fed by—the enemy of God.
IN DEED Paul told believers to give thanks in every circumstance (1 Thessalonians 5:18). He didn’t tell them to give thanks only when the clear evidence of God’s blessing is visible. He told them to give thanks always—in every situation.
How can we do this? On the basis of who God is. If we always see the downside, we are doubting something about God—that He’s good, or able, or wise. But if we know that He’s good, and that He’s sovereign, and that He’s wise, we can give thanks that He’s working out His plan even in the difficult circumstances of life.
Establish in your mind a discipline of thanks. Enumerate every aspect of your life, and thank God for it. In every circumstance, choose to see it from an angle that will cultivate gratitude. God will be honored. And His presence will be real.
“A life of thankfulness releases the glory of God.” — Bengt Sundberg
Additional Reading: Psalm 100; 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Stay tuned Thanksgiving week 2024 for a devotional thought on Thankfulness every day!
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Try making a list of all the things you’re thankful for. Remember God’s past mercies and write them down. Try composing your own psalm of remembrance. Then read over these things often. Set them to music if it helps. Let your mind be saturated with the goodness of God, and you’ll be amazed at how the goodness of God becomes real.
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Gratitude makes faith strong. Thankful people understand the God who is strong. They see His face and are not afraid. They aren’t just hoping for His goodness. They’re expecting it.
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Gratitude reminds us never to underestimate Him. It reminds us of what He has done, what He has forgiven, and what He has promised. It acknowledges who He is. And it sends us into His presence with joy.
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