If you were to throw an elaborate party in the honour of the Lord – kill fatted cows, provide food and drinks in abundance from all parts of the world, what would God eat and drink from all your elaborate preparation of cuisines? Can we truly and really host God to a buffet or dinner? Bear in mind that he owns the cattle on a thousand hills, the birds of the air, the beasts of the forest, the wild animals in the field and the various creatures in the vast ocean. All creations are His! If He was ever hungry, being the owner of the world, would He inform us?

So what do you give in return to such a magnificent and awesome person who owns it all or how do you show your appreciation in His honour? What does He require from us all and everything that has breath? It is simple yet profound.We hear about it all the time, we talk about it, we even expect it from others, yet it is something which we have come to take for granted: Gratitude- a heart of thanksgiving and praise.

In the course of everyday living, we lose sight of those things which seem to be minute and at times mundane but very essential to our overall well-being. For instance, what would you do if the air you breathe in free of charge suddenly ceases and is no longer available, or for every ounce of air you inhale, you are required to make a payment? Also, you get up daily from your bed thinking the alarm woke youup.You are able to stretch your body, lift your hands, walk on your feet, drink wateretc. and you take it for granted, as normal occurrence in day-to-day living. What if you were not able to do all these things?

I have come to realise that in the process of chasing after the big things/events of life, we oftentimes tend to lose sight of the little but essential things. Also, while waiting in expectation of major breaks in life, we forget the ones that have been coming in, though small but steadily, forgetting that the drops which are constant and steady usually result in the overflow. A lot of times we get so focused and wrapped up in those things which we are trusting God to do for us we fail to see that which he is presently doing, forgetting also that which He did in time past.

An adage says “He who shows gratitude for yesterday’s act of benevolence will receive more of such acts of goodness.” Naturally, when a person shows gratitude for an act of kindness, there is the tendency on the part of the giver to want to do more for that person because he or she is appreciative.

The book of psalms is replete with thanksgiving and praises unto the Lord. I take it that the sweet psalmist understood perfectly what it meant to be grateful. It must have been one of the reasons why God labelled him (David) a man after His own heart, and this also explains the victorious life he lived despite all the battles he faced in his lifetime.

When you praise God, you bring down His presence; and if you are a constant “praiser”, you carry His manifest presence with you everywhere you go. David was constantly a carrier of God’s manifest presence because of his attitude of being thankful. You can’t be a “praiser” and be a loser.

What God requires from us is a thankful heart, a grateful spirit that constantly declares His praise. The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies the Lord and guess what, because it a two-edged sword you also through the act of praise and thanksgiving execute the written judgment over the enemy.

Someone may say, “I don’t really have a reason to praise the Lord, much less be thankful.” But I tell you today is a good day to count your blessings despite the storms you have faced in life. At times it doesn’t make sense and it is quite hard explaining why somethings occur but if you look deeply, you will see the blessings in them.

Here is food for thought: He never promised that we will sail through life without hiccups, trials and challenges, but He gave His word to be with us through it all. His word is His bond and it is infallible. Right now, He is saying to you with all the love in His heart:“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” (Isaiah 43:2 NLT)

Let us cultivate the habit of being thankful always irrespective of our situation, keeping at the back of our mind that everything we see and experience is subject to change. And because God did it in times past, He will definitely do it againand again.