“Receive every day as a resurrection from death, as a new enjoyment of life; meet every rising sun with such sentiments of God’s goodness, as if you had seen it, and all things, new-created upon your account: and under the sense of so great a blessing, let your joyful heart praise and magnify so good and glorious a Creator.” ~ William Law

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” ~ G.K. Chesterton

“Praise be to you, O LORD,
God of our father Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom;
you are exalted as head over all.
Wealth and honor come from you;
you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all.
Now, our God, we give you thanks,
and praise your glorious name.”
~ David, King of Israel: 1 Chronicles 29: 10 – 13

Count your blessings. See what God hath done. Thankfulness is vital to Christianity.
Redemption leads inevitably to thankfulness–Romans 7.24-25
Life in Christ leads to thankfulness–I Corinthians 15.57
Thankfulness is a part of God’s will for our lives–I Thessalonians 5.16-18
Unthankfulness led to apostasy–Romans 1.21; however thankfulness characterizes the Christian life–Colossians 3.17
Thankfulness has replaced sinful thinking–Ephesians 5.4
Thankfulness has replaced anxiety–Philippians 4.6

We could spend the rest of our lives gathering a brief list of all the blessings God shares with us. Just for a moment, let us count our blessings so that we may be thankful:

GOD’S MERCY–TITUS 3.5
GODS’ SON–JOHN 3.16
GOD’S SPIRIT–ROMANS 8.10-11, 26
GOD’S CHURCH–MATTHEW 16.18; ACTS 20.28
GOD’S WORK–ROMANS 1.15
GOD’S WORD–2 TIMOTHY 3.16
GOD’S GIFT OF FAMILY–PSALM 127
GOD’S GIFT OF REPENTANCE–ACTS 2.38
GOD’S PROMISE OF HEAVEN THAT WAITS–REVELATION 21.1-8

Have you returned thanks? I saw a show on television about two friends who were exchanging Christmas presents. One friend was very worried about giving a gift equal to the one he had received. So he devised a plan to buy several gifts so that he could give his friend the appropriate gift and return the rest. With all the blessings God has given us, what is the appropriate gift for Him?

“I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God,
that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,
which is your reasonable service”
Romans 12.1