As believers, our devotion to God the Father is grounded in the revelation of His love towards us and our acceptance of this lavish display of His love. He gave His Son Jesus for our redemption and day-by-day we see grand displays of His love in our lives. When we ponder all that God does carefully, our right response is to worship Him.

When we worship God, we perform a spiritual act because true worship is in truth and Spirit (John 4:24). The act of being grateful or thankful can be classified as a believer’s spiritual sacrifice to  God the Father. We have always been quick to classify prayer, fasting, and spending time in the Word of God as the believer’s act of devotion but what of thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving is actually a sacrifice we offer unto God; it brings us closer and makes us appreciate Him much more. The Psalmist says, I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving and will call upon the name of the LORD, (Psalms 116:17, KJV). Nothing turns us into bitter, selfish, dissatisfied people more quickly than an ungrateful heart. And nothing will do more to restore contentment and the joy of our salvation than a true spirit of thankfulness.

How long has it been since you thanked God for your salvation? We should not let a day go by without thanking God for His mercy and grace to us in Jesus Christ. It’s hard to keep an attitude of gratitude because in ourselves we do not have the strength that we need to live the way God wants us to live (1 Thessalonians 5:18). When we turn to Him, however, we discover that “it is God who works in us to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13, NIV).

I am thankful to God for His sustenance and hopeful that His life by the Holy Spirit will keep me perpetually in the Father’s love. Are you thankful for the Father’s gracious love?