Thoughts for the Day

I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing your praise;
I bow down towards your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness;
for you have exalted your name and your word
above everything.
On the day I called, you answered me,
you increased my strength of soul.

All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O Lord,
for they have heard the words of your mouth.
They shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
for great is the glory of the Lord.
For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly;
but the haughty he perceives from far away.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies;
you stretch out your hand,
and your right hand delivers me.
The Lord will fulfil his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O Lord, endures for ever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

We had finally got through to the child! After reminding them what felt like hundreds of times to say "please and "thank you" to other people when someone helped them or gave them something. Politeness costs nothing, but it does smooth our communication with one another. However, we had to laugh when we got "Thank you Daddy!" and "Thank you Mummy!" ad nauseum for the rest of the day, and especially when we finally received a "That was kind of you!" tacked onto the end of the thanks. It was somewhat overdone, the adults felt!

If we turn to our psalm, Psalm 138, we find King David giving thanks to God. God has protected him, and he has much to celebrate. Surrounded as he is by multiple pagan gods - the old Canaanite gods that the people frequently slide back to worshipping. David will not let these trouble him. He will give a thank-offering in the Temple, and tell everyone how God has protected him. He will bow down before Him, and he will publicly praise God's name (meaning he will celebrate whole nature of Yahweh) so that whole world will praise God.

All too often we fervently ask God to help us, and He does. But do we turn to Him just as eagerly to repeatedly thank Him? Do we see His hand at work when solutions are found for our problems, and thank Him? Do we publicly tell others, as did David, what God has done for us? I'm not sure I'm so good at that, are you?

Father-God,
when we ask for help
which You freely give,
and then forget to thank You,
please forgive us.
We thank You this day
for .........................................
May we not forget to thank You
each and every single day -
for Your generosity
and especially for Your love
for all Your children.
Amen.