Charles Spurgeon noted that we should be thankful on more days than just Thanksgiving. “I think that is a better thing than thanksgiving: thanks-living. How is this to be done? By a general cheerfulness of manner, by an obedience to the command of Him by whose mercy we live, by a perpetual, constant delighting of ourselves in the Lord, and by a submission of our desires to His will.”
Jesus Christ also demonstrated to us the essence of thanksgiving. Several times, He gave thanks to the Father (John 11:41, Matthew 15:36, Luke 22:17).
God wants His children to thank Him and show gratitude for everything that happens in their lives. We are to thank God when we are full and when we are empty. We are to continuously show appreciation for the many things we normally take for granted.
Our willingness to thank God should not be based on our mood, i.e. whether we are happy or not. It should not be based only on the things we receive and recognize as gifts and blessings; we should also thank God for the miracle of sleeping and waking up, for the gift of life, for the salvation of our souls and for divine health.
Thank God for the ability to use every part of your body; that you can eat, drink, see, walk, speak, learn and interact with people. Thank God because no matter what you are going through, you are still better off in certain areas compared to some other people on the face of the earth.
Most of all, I am thankful that God is in my life. Our creator, sustainer, redeemer, friend, and Lord is with us every moment. ~ Pastor Nathan